BYU Reaches Final After Slow Start

Playing in the first men’s volleyball Final Four in school history, it was understandable that Brigham Young started slowly to open this year’s semifinals at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday night.

However, the top-ranked Cougars overcame a first-game loss to defeat 13th-ranked and fourth-seeded Penn State, 10-15, 15-4, 15-11, 15-5.

“It was a tough feeling being in the Final Four and being the favorite,” said All-American Ossie Antonetti, who had a match-high 24 kills and six blocks.

In Saturday’s title match, the Cougars (29-21) will play the winner of Thursday’s late second semifinal between Long Beach State and Indiana Purdue Fort Wayne. The 49ers are the only team to defeat BYU this season.

For a while Thursday, it looked as if Penn State would be the second.

“In the first game, Penn State served and received exceptionally well,” Cougar Coach Carl McGown said. “That was the difference in that game.

“As the match progressed, I don’t think we ever got real good receiving, but we got better, and they cooled off on their serve.”

The Nittany Lions (22-13) had four aces the first game, but only one the rest of the way.

“I think the first game was our finest game of the year,” Penn State Coach Mark Pavlik said. “What you saw out there on our side was pretty typical of the season.

“At times we showed flashes of being able to play with anyone in the country and at times we showed flashes of playing like a high school girls’ team.”

All-Americans Ryan Millar (20 kills) and Antonetti, both of whom were ill Wednesday and uncertain if they could play, were the driving forces for BYU (29-1).

Millar, who said he was so sick Wednesday it began to scare him, looked shaky in the first game. The game ended with Millar hitting a ball wide to give Penn State the side out before the 15th point. And on the decisive point, a block by Penn State’s Brad Miller hit Millar in the face before falling to the floor to end the game.

Millar got his revenge at the end of the match.

After keeping a rally alive by getting the ball to a teammate, Millar put the Cougars in the title match with a block.