Positive takeaways for Penn State men's volleyball as they look to get back on track this weekend

Penn State was finally able to catch its breath after nearly two months of constant travel.

The Nittany Lions are 5-13 and fell out of the top 20 in the AVCA Poll for the first time in 91 weeks. The team has lost five straight.

Despite a gauntlet of challenging opponents and a hefty traveling schedule, there are positive things to consider as Penn State gets set to take on Charleston Friday night.

Rest is coming at the perfect time

Head coach Mark Pavlik and his squad were in Hawaii two weeks ago, dropping all three matches they played there.

Changing time zones, getting up early for flights and losing games is not ideal, and something that can decrease a team’s morale.

Despite the rough time in Honolulu, the team is still in good spirits and enjoyed a needed rest.

“I think they used it [the break] in a manner that we had intended for them to use… and they came back in on Monday and had a pretty good practice, so we’re right where we want to be,” Pavlik said.

This past weekend also gave the team time to rest before the homestretch of this season. Penn State will play EIVA opponents the rest of the way.

“I think you need to have that rest building to your schedule… and I think that’s the way I look at it, we’re always trying to give the guys a break. This would be week number 13, so now all of a sudden we need that time [off],” Pavlik said.

Penn State still sits in the middle of the pack in the EIVA, so their games are going to be crucial coming up if they want to make a run in the conference this year.

Being at Rec Hall more consistently

It seems like all season, the Nittany Lions have been on the road. They have had two games at Rec Hall all year.

This stretch of the season is going to be the most crucial part of the year. Fortunately for Penn State, a majority of the games will be on its home court. With all of that craziness behind them, Pavlik is confident the team can come into its own during this important stretch.

“I think we’re saying the schedule that we played to this point has been a brutal one. We’ve gone up against the best teams in the country”... “I think the guys are looking forward to being on the court saying everything we’ve done is behind us, we’re still in control of our destiny. Let’s see what we can do,” Pavlik said.

Even with the rough season thus far, a lot of magic happens at Rec Hall. Mark Pavlik has won 20 straight games at the venue.

Playing in front of the Rec Hall crowd is exactly what the team needs as they head into conference play, especially since they haven't had many opportunities to do so this season.

Capturing momentum vs. Charleston

The Nittany Lions still maintained focus on Charleston during their bye week.

Being able to win this weekend would not only help out Penn State in the rankings but also give the team the confidence to win even more games down the stretch.

“We had three good practices last week. We had a good one on Monday, and looking forward to a good one here [Tuesday]. I think it’s pretty much business as usual,” Pavlik said on practicing without a game scheduled for the weekend.

Penn State has played Charlston 19 times. The Nittany Lions have never lost.

With a well-timed off-week giving the players a chance to regroup, a Nittany Lion breakout could be on the horizon as March draws to a close.

Ben Barker is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bsb5566@psu.edu.