Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1534903
M A Y 2 0 2 5 17 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M FIVE YEARS AGO, 2020 College athletics were shut down in the spring of 2020, but the so- cial-distancing mandates that had been put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 didn't prevent coaches and players from preparing for what they hoped would be a re- turn to competition in the fall. Penn State's James Franklin was among the coaches who were advocating for a football season of some kind, even if it meant playing in empty stadiums. "I'm open and flexible to doing whatever we possibly can to make it work," he said. "Because if we don't make it work, there are go- ing to be major impacts across the board. Even if we get to a scenario as extreme as not having fans, I do think allowing people to watch Penn State football — not just Penn State, but all these programs across the country — [requires] you to be flexible." His players were doing their best to prepare for that possibility. Some had workout equipment at home that they were able to use. Oth- ers were forced to improvise us- ing makeshift gear. When the position groups met with their coaches, it was over Zoom. Coaches would give quizzes and create workout regimens tailored to the circumstances of each individual player. Underlying that effort was a de- sire to get back on campus as soon as possible and regain some semblance of normalcy. "At the end of the day, we all just want to play football," offensive lineman Mi- chal Menet said, "and we're waiting till somebody gives us the OK to do that." 10 YEARS AGO, 2015 The Penn State men's volleyball team ended its season with a 3-1 loss to top- ranked Lewis in the NCAA Tournament semifinals May 7 at Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif. The Nittany Lions were able to even the match with a 25-22 victory in the second set, but the Fly- ers dominated the third set, 25-16, and closed out PSU with a 25-20 win in the fourth. "I think they took it to another level," PSU head coach Mark Pavlik said. "We just didn't have an answer for their left- side attack." The loss, which came on the heels of a 3-1 victory over Hawai'i two nights ear- lier in the NCAA play-in game, brought an end to a strong season in which the Nittany Lions rebounded from an 0-6 start to win 21 of their final 25 matches. They had captured 17 in a row heading into their clash with Lewis. Three Nittany Lions led the offense with double-figure kills. PSU got 15 from All-American Aaron Russell, while fel- low outside hitter Chris Nugent had 12 kills and a team-high 9 digs, and oppo- site hitter Nick Goodell finished with 11 kills and 7 digs. In winning the second set, the Lions jumped out to a 17-13 lead. Lewis an- swered with a 4-2 run to get back within two, 19-17, prompting Penn State to call a timeout. Nugent came out of the break with a kill to open up a 4-2 stretch that kept PSU ahead 23-19. Lewis looked to rally, but a kill from Goodell made it set point for the Lions. The Flyers held off one attempt before Russell secured the win with a kill. PSU had some mo- mentum coming out of that set, but Lewis quickly regained control of the match. "I think we created opportuni- ties, and I thought we got some good swings," Pavlik said. "But we could not score points easily against them." 25 YEARS AGO, 2000 The Penn State baseball team hadn't made the NCAA Tourna- ment since 1976, but that 24-year drought ended after a 38-14 regular season and a sprint to the champi- onship game of the Big Ten Tourna- ment in Joe Hindelang's 10th season as head coach. The Nittany Lions were led that year by outfielder Michael Campo, a first-team All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year. Campo set PSU single-season records for at-bats (261), hits (111), doubles (24) and runs scored (83). On the mound, the Lions got a lift from freshman pitcher Kevin Damiano. Fac- ing North Carolina in the last game of the Upper Montclair Regional, Damiano scattered 6 hits in nine innings to help Penn State prevail, 10-3. The Lions went 4-1 in the regional, with their only loss coming to the Tar Heels in the opener. Penn State moved on to the NCAA Super Regional in Austin, Texas, but it didn't have much luck against the hosts. Texas outscored the Nittany Lions 17-3 in a pair of lopsided games. The back- to-back losses ended PSU's season, but not before the team made a bit of pro- gram history. Its 45-19 overall finish was — and still is — the best ever at Penn State. — Matt Herb This Month In Penn State Athletics History James Franklin was eager to see football played in 2020, even if it meant staging games in empty stadiums. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL