Last weekend, the Penn State men’s volleyball team won both of their matches and coach Mark Pavlik earned his 400th and 401st victories. The Nittany Lions now enter the toughest portion of their schedule that features three road matches against conference foes and three matches in California.

On Friday, Pavlik earned his 400th victory when Penn State swept Mount Olive 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-21). All of Pavlik’s victories have come while coaching Penn State. Mount Olive, a small school from North Carolina, pushed Penn State, especially in set one. The Nittany Lions pulled off the sweep, however, thanks in part to 14 kills from Tom Comfort and seven blocks from Edgardo Goas.

Lees McRae, also a small school from North Carolina, pushed Penn State to five sets on Saturday. The Nittany Lions eked out a 3-2 (24-26, 25-12, 25-23, 22-25, 15-9) victory. Comfort led the Nittany Lions with 19 kills, and Ryan Wolf added 15. Nick Turko had seven blocks and Wolf had six.

With the two victories, Penn State improves to 11-3 overall and 4-0 in conference play. The Nittany Lions now face six tough road tests. The first three matches will be against conference opponents. Then, Penn State will travel to California for three matches.

This will be the toughest stretch for the Nittany Lions, and how they perform in these six games will define their season. Penn State should win the first three matches, and taking at least one of three in California would make for a successful road trip.

Upcoming schedule:

Wednesday: at Saint Francis (Pa.), 7 p.m.
Saturday: at George Mason, 7 p.m.