Jan. 19, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The third-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team swept No. 9 Ohio State Saturday night in Columbus, Ohio, 30-22, 37-35, 30-24. The Nittany Lions improve to 6-0 while the Buckeyes even their record to 1-1. The win is the first Penn State sweep in St. John Arena since March 26, 1995.
Junior opposite Ryan Sweitzer (Lancaster, Pa.) led all players with a career-high 19 kills on .424 hitting while junior outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) recorded 18 kills and middle hitters Max Holt (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Max Lipsitz (Williamsville, N.Y.) each recorded seven kills, with Lipsitz' coming on 11 errorless swings to hit .636. As a team, Penn State outhit Ohio State .379 to .260.
Senior setter Luke Murray (East Petersburg, Pa.) directed the Lion offense with 49 assists and junior outside hitter Jay Stauffer (Columbia, Pa.) led all players with nine digs as freshman libero Dennis Del Valle (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) chipped in six digs while Murray and Sweitzer each added five digs.
The Nittany Lions claimed the blocking game, 11.0 to 7.5. Holt led the way with five blocks and Lipsitz posted four, Anderson and Murray each added three and Stauffer recorded two. Lipsitz led the service game with a match-high two aces as Sweitzer and Anderson both recorded one.
Brett Versen led Ohio State with 14 kills and Robbie Klein added in 10. Daniel Mathews dished out 41 assists and Versen and Conor Martin each provided six digs as John Albertson and John Klanac both tallied three blocks.
The first game remained even early on, with Lion kills from Sweitzer and Anderson giving Penn State the 12-10 lead. The teams traded kills and errors and another Sweitzer kill put the Lions up 15-12. A Holt kill and an Anderson service ace forced an Ohio State timeout with Penn State holding the 17-13 lead. The Buckeyes pulled within two at 20-18 on an Albertson kill but two Ohio State errors gave Penn State the 22-18 advantage. Consecutive Anderson putaways pushed the Lion lead to 26-19 and a triple block from Holt, Stauffer and Murray made it 28-20 before an Ohio State service error ended the game, 30-22.
The Buckeyes took the 13-10 lead to start the second game on a kill from Klanac and held the lead, but a Sweitzer kill brought the Lions within three at 19-16. The teams traded points several times, with kills from Anderson and Sweitzer pulling Penn State within two at 26-24. Out of an Ohio State timeout, a Sweitzer kill trimmed the Buckeye lead to one at 26-25 and following an Ohio State kill from Versen, Lion putaways from Anderson and Sweitzer tied the game at 27-27. The teams traded kills and a Sweitzer kill aided by an Ohio State block error gave Penn State its first lead of the game at 29-28. A Lion service error tied the game at 29-29 and a Buckeye kill from Klein put Ohio State ahead 30-29. The teams traded points and a kill from Del Valle and a Buckeye ball-handling error gave Penn State the 32-31 lead. Ohio State responded with a kill from Klanac and the teams traded service errors before a Murray kill put the Lions up 34-33. A Lion attack error evened the score at 34-34 and a Stauffer kill was quickly followed by a Buckeye kill from Klein to knot the game at 25-25. A Lipsitz kill pushed Penn State up 36-35 and a Lipsitz service ace off the tape gave Penn State the game, 37-35.
Penn State took the early 9-7 lead aided by consecutive Anderson and Lipsitz blocks. Another block, this one from Holt and Murray, put the Nittany Lions up 13-9 and a Sweitzer putaway made it 15-11. Two kills from Lipsitz, one from Anderson and a Lion triple block from Holt, Sweitzer and Anderson pushed Penn State ahead 20-14 and back to back Holt kills made it 22-15. Ohio State pulled within four at 24-20 on a block, ace and kill, but a Sweitzer kill pushed the lead back to five at 25-20. A Penn State triple block from Lipsitz, Sweitzer and junior middle hitter Jon Sherrick (Mountville, Pa.) made the score 27-21 before a Lipsitz kill ended the game, 30-24.
The Nittany Lions remain on the road, traveling to EIVA foe Saint Francis on Jan. 25 at 7:00 p.m. before returning home to host Mount Olive on Jan. 28 at 7:00 p.m. at Rec Hall.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.