April 25, 2008
EIVA Championship Central
University Park, Pa. - Four members of the top-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (27-1) were named to the EIVA All-Academic team. The Nittany Lions' four selections led the conference, along with NJIT. Senior setter Travis Foltz (Westlake Village, Calif.), sophomore middle hitter Max Lipsitz (Williamsville, N.Y.), junior middle hitter Jon Sherrick (Mountville, Pa.) and junior outside hitter Jay Stauffer (Columbia, Pa.) were all recognized for their efforts on the court and in the classroom.
Foltz holds a 3.51 grade point average in finance and has played in 65 of 92 games for the Nittany Lions as a setter and serving specialist. He recorded 20 assists and two digs while leading the team to a .326 hitting percentage versus Princeton on Feb. 16 and dished out 29 assists while helping the team to a .542 hitting percentage against East Stroudsburg on Feb. 29. Foltz has 111 total assists for the season, along with 15 digs and eight blocks.
Lipsitz also boasts a 3.51 grade point average in finance. A First Team All-EIVA selection, he has started all 92 games for the Lions and is averaging 2.40 kills per game on .496 hitting, a mark that places him third in the nation. Lipsitz ranks second on the team with 101 total blocks, posting at least one block in every contest and producing multiple blocks on 25 occasions.
Sherrick maintains a 3.77 grade point average in economics. He has seen action in 66 games and 26 matches and has 21 kills and 12 blocks for the year. Sherrick recorded five kills and two blocks against Princeton on Feb. 16 and had three kills on an errorless four swings with three blocks in two games at East Stroudsburg on Feb. 20.
Stauffer holds a 3.71 grade point average in finance and economics. He has started all 28 matches and 84 of 92 games for the Lions this season. A mainstay in the passing rotation, Stauffer has helped the Lions to a nation-leading .405 hitting percentage while also ranking second on the team in digs with 128, an average of 1.52 digs per game. He has 59 kills and 41 blocks for the year, recording four or more blocks three times this season, including at IPFW on April 12.
Top-ranked and top-seeded Penn State will face second-seed and No. 11 George Mason in the EIVA Championship on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. at Rec Hall. The winner earns the right to advance to the National Collegiate Semifinal match on Thursday, May 1 in Irvine, Calif., with the National Championship contest slated for Saturday, May 3 at 4:00 p.m. PT (7:00 p.m. ET). The Patriots defeated NJIT in five games (21-30, 25-30, 30-26, 30-20, 15-13) in the EIVA semifinals Thursday.
The Nittany Lions improved to 54-3 all-time in the EIVA Championship with the win over NYU Thursday night in the EIVA Semifinal at Rec Hall. Penn State holds a 10-1 advantage over the Patriots in the EIVA Championship dating back to the 1986 season, but George Mason has been the only team to defeat Penn State during the 2008 season, a four-game victory in Fairfax, Va., on Feb. 15.
Tickets for the EIVA Championship are $5 for adults and $3 for youth, with Penn State students gaining free admission. Groups of 10 or more, any age, are just $2 per person. Seating is general admission and tickets will be available at the Rec Hall ticket office beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 26.
The EIVA Championship match will feature Gametracker and free live streaming video, available at www.GoPSUsports.com. There will be no television coverage for the Championship this year.
In other men's volleyball conference action, top-seeded Long Beach State fell in straight sets to fifth-seeded Pepperdine (27-30, 22-30, 41-43) in the first MPSF semifinal before second-seed BYU advanced with a three-game win over third-seed Cal State Northridge (30-22, 30-28, 30-26). The Waves and Cougars will meet for the league's automatic berth into the national semifinals on Saturday in Long Beach, Calif. at 7:00 p.m. PT (10:00 p.m. ET) at the Walter Pyramid. Gametracker will be available at www.Longbeachstate.com. The match will also be streamed online for $7.95.
In MIVA action, top-seeded Ohio State defeated fourth-seed Loyola-Chicago in three games (30-22, 30-26, 30-27) while second-seed Ball State downed third-seed Lewis in four games (30-28, 3-26, 27-30, 31-29). The Buckeyes and Cardinals square off on Saturday at St. John Arena in Columbus, Ohio at 7:00 p.m. ET for the conference's automatic berth into the national semifinals. Live stats will be available at www.Ohiostatebuckeyes.com. The match will also be streamed online for $9.95.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.