March 13, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
Complete Release in PDF Format
The fourth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (19-1) heads west to face NAIA No. 2 Cal Baptist (9-7) and No. 3 Long Beach State (16-2) this weekend at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. The Nittany Lions and Lancers square off on Friday, March 14 at 5:00 p.m. PT (8:00 p.m. ET) before the Lions face the 49ers on Saturday, March 15 at 7:00 p.m. PT (10:00 p.m. ET). Links to Gametracker and audio (for the Long Beach State match) will be available at www.GoPSUsports.com.
Previewing Penn State
The Nittany Lions enter the weekend with a 19-1 overall record after falling at then-No. 14 George Mason (23-30, 22-30, 30-17, 31-33) and defeating Princeton (30-24, 30-17, 26-30, 30-25) last weekend on the road. Junior outside hitter Matt Anderson leads the squad and the country with 5.87 kills per game while junior opposite Ryan Sweitzer and junior middle hitter Max Holt add in 3.32 and 3.24 kills per game, respectively, with Holt's coming on a nation-leading .545 hitting percentage. Senior setter Luke Murray directs the offense with 13.53 assists per game and freshman libero Dennis Del Valle provides a team-high 2.55 digs per game as junior Jay Stauffer chips in 1.62 digs per game. Holt heads the blocking list with 1.31 blocks per game and sophomore middle hitter Max Lipsitz produces 1.17 blocks per game. As a team, Penn State is hitting a nation-leading .396 with 16.25 kills per game, 1.71 service aces per game, 8.71 digs per game and 3.08 blocks per game.
The Series: Penn State vs. Cal Baptist
Penn State trails Cal Baptist, 1-0, in a series that began during the 2007 season. Last year's meeting was a three-game Lancer victory (30-27, 30-23, 30-25) on March 16 at the Long Beach State Active Ankle/Guesthouse Classic at the Walter Pyramid.
The Series: Penn State vs. Long Beach State
Penn State trails Long Beach State, 12-4, in a series that began in 1985. The last meeting was a five-game 49er victory (30-19, 27-30, 28-30, 26-30, 15-13) on March 17, 2007 at the Long Beach State Active Ankle/Guesthouse Classic at the Walter Pyramid. The last Penn State victory was a four-game win (30-22, 21-30, 30-22, 30-27) on Feb. 4, 2006 in University Park, Pa. The last Nittany Lion victory at the Walter Pyramid was a four-game win (32-30, 30-32, 30-28, 30-24) on March 9, 2001.
Next Up
Penn State returns to Rec Hall on March 28 for a 7:00 p.m. meeting with No. 10 Ohio State that will be televised live on WPSU in the State College area. Penn State then hosts No. 9 Ball State on Saturday, March 29 in a contest that will also be Senior Night, honoring Luke Murray and Travis Foltz for their contributions to Penn State and the men's volleyball program. Admission to both matches is free.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.