Feb. 1, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Complete Match Notes in PDF Format
The second-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team travels to face the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) on Saturday, Feb. 2 at 7:00 p.m. in Newark, N.J. Gametracker will be available at www.GoPSUsports.com.
Previewing Penn State
The Nittany Lions enter the match with an 8-0 record after defeating Mount Olive College in three games (30-22, 30-25, 30-22) Monday night for the program's 800th win. Junior outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) leads the team with 5.46 kills per game while junior opposite Ryan Sweitzer (Lancaster, Pa.) provides 3.68 kills per game, junior middle hitter Max Holt (Cincinnati, Ohio) chips in 3.07 kills per game on .508 hitting and sophomore middle hitter Max Lipsitz (Williamsville, N.Y.) adds in 2.56 kills per game on .500 hitting. Senior setter Luke Murray (East Petersburg, Pa.) directs the offense with 13.69 assists per game and freshman libero Dennis Del Valle (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) tops the defense with 3.30 digs per game as junior outside hitter Jay Stauffer (Columbia, Pa.) chips in 1.70 digs per game. Holt heads the blocking list with 1.48 blocks per game and Murray and Lipsitz provide 1.12 and 1.11 blocks per game, respectively. As a team, Penn State is hitting .349 with 16.04 kills per game, 1.15 service aces per game, 10.07 digs per game and 3.39 blocks per game.
Scouting NJIT
The Highlanders come into Friday's match with a 2-1 record after outlasting Rutgers-Newark in five games (32-30, 28-30, 30-24, 23-30, 15-12) Wednesday night in Newark, N.J. Junior middle hitter Amobi Armstrong leads the squad with 3.25 kills per game as senior outside hitter Eduardo Welter and senior opposite Leonardo Paludo chip in 2.75 and 2.17 kills per game, respectively. Senior setter Mike Nonnenmann directs the offense with 7.56 assists per game and Welter and Armstrong lead the defense with 1.83 and 1.58 digs per game, respectively. Junior middle hitter Robert Thomas tops the blocking list with nine blocks in 11 games, good for an average of 0.82 blocks per game. As a team, NJIT is hitting .194 with 12.42 kills per game, 2.33 service aces per game, 7.58 digs per gam and 1.75 blocks per game.
The Series: Penn State vs. NJIT
Penn State leads NJIT, 24-1, in a series that began in 1977. The last meeting was a four-game (30-14, 30-28, 29-31, 30-24) Nittany Lion win on March 16, 2002 at Rec Hall. The last meeting in Newark was a three-game (30-26, 30-15, 30-18) Penn State victory on Feb. 15, 2002.
Next Up
Penn State returns to Rec Hall to start a five-match homestand, hosting Juniata on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7:00 p.m. The Nittany Lions then welcome MIVA foes Loyola-Chicago and IPFW on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 8-9, before hosting George Mason and Princeton on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 15-16.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.