March 26, 2009
University Park, Pa. - The eighth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (18-3) hosts its final regular-season matches this weekend at Rec Hall when it welcomes Princeton (7-7) and Mount Olive College (11-6). The Nittany Lions take on the Tigers on Friday, March 27 at 7:00 p.m. before facing the Trojans on Saturday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Prior to Saturday's match, seniors Max Holt, Jon Sherrick, Jay Stauffer and Ryan Sweitzer will be recognized for their contributions to Penn State and the men's volleyball program. Gametracker and video will be available at www.GoPSUsports.com for both matches and admission is free.
Previewing Penn State
The Nittany Lions come into the weekend with an 18-3 overall record and an 8-0 mark in the EIVA after defeating league foe Juniata in three games (30-24, 30-25, 30-26) Tuesday night in Huntingdon, Pa. Junior outside hitter Will Price and senior opposite Ryan Sweitzer lead the squad with 3.49 and 3.44 kills per game, respectively, as junior middle hitter Max Lipsitz chips in 2.85 kills per game. Redshirt freshman setter Edgardo Goas directs the offense with 12.61 assists per game and sophomore libero Dennis Del Valle tops the defense with 2.93 digs per game. Lipsitz heads the blocking list with 1.24 blocks per game while senior middle hitter Max Holt adds in 1.06 blocks per game. As a team, Penn State is hitting .385 with 15.33 kills per game, 1.97 service aces per game, 9.07 digs per game and 2.76 blocks per game.
The Series: Penn State vs. Princeton
Penn State leads Princeton, 36-2, in a series that began in 1977. The last meeting was a four-game Nittany Lion win (30-24, 30-17, 26-30, 30-25) on March 8, 2008 in Princeton, N.J. The last meeting at Rec Hall was a three-game Penn State victory (30-19, 30-16, 33-31) on Feb. 16, 2008.
The Series: Penn State vs. Mount Olive
Penn State leads Mount Olive, 2-0, in a series that began in 2005. The last meeting was a three-game Nittany Lion win (30-22, 30-25, 30-22) on Jan. 28, 2008 at Rec Hall.
Next Up
Penn State takes to the road for the next three weekends, traveling to NJIT (April 4), Princeton (April 10), George Mason (April 11), Ball State (April 17) and Ohio State (April 18) before potentially returning home to host the EIVA Championship on April 30 and May 2. The winner of the EIVA Championship earns an automatic berth into the NCAA National Collegiate Semifinals, slated for Thursday, May 7 in Provo, Utah. The NCAA National Collegiate Championship match is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, also in Provo, Utah.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State men's volleyball 2009 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets At Hershey.