Jan. 10, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Complete Match Notes in PDF Format
The third-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team will open up the 2008 home slate on Friday, Jan. 11 at 7:00 p.m. when it hosts Lewis at Rec Hall. It will also be alumni weekend for the Nittany Lions as the squad will compete against a heralded group of veterans on Saturday, Jan. 12 beginning at 3:00 p.m. in the South Gym of Rec Hall. Admission to both contests is free and Gametracker will be available at www.GoPSUsports.com for the match with the Flyers.
Previewing Penn State
The Nittany Lions enter Friday's match with a 3-0 record after defeating No. 11 Hawaii (21-30, 30-24, 30-20, 30-18), No. 3 UCLA (30-19, 30-26, 38-36) and Ball State (30-20, 30-17, 30-19) last weekend to claim the title at the Outrigger Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii. It was the first tournament title for Penn State in the 14 years of participating in the tournament and the first win over the Bruins since the 1997 season. Junior outside hitter Matt Anderson was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Invitational and is averaging 6.20 kills per game on .405 hitting as junior opposite Ryan Sweitzer chips in 3.90 kills per game. Sophomore middle hitter Max Lipsitz adds in 2.70 kills per game on .512 hitting and All-Tournament team member junior middle hitter Max Holt provides 2.40 kills per game on .465 hitting. Senior setter and All-Tournament team member Luke Murray directs the Lion offense with 14.20 assists per game while freshman libero Dennis Del Valle has double digit dig totals in each of his three matches for an average of 3.40 digs per game. Holt is heading the blocking chart with 1.50 blocks per game as Murray and Sweitzer add in 1.40 and 1.10 blocks per game, respectively. As a team, Penn State is hitting .383 with 16.50 kills per game, 1.20 service aces per game, 9.80 digs per game and 3.60 blocks per game.
Scouting Lewis
The Flyers participated in the Innisbrook Resort Volleyball Invitational in Clearwater, Fla., last weekend. They competed against Canadian teams, which count as exhibition matches and are not reflected in the team's overall record or statistics. Lewis finished 3-1 for the weekend, defeating Manitoba, 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-15), Queen's, 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 25-10, 25-20) and Brandon, 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-22) while falling in the opener to McMaster, 3-0 (21-25, 25-18, 25-18). Junior outside hitter Drew Pickering was named to the tournament All-Star Team.
The Series: Penn State vs. Lewis
Penn State leads Lewis, 12-7, in a series that began in 1994. The last meeting was a three-game Nittany Lion win (31-29, 30-18, 30-26) on April 13, 2007 in Romeoville, Ill. The last meeting at Rec Hall was a three-game Penn State victory (30-28, 30-24, 30-22) on April 8, 2006.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.