April 2, 2009
University Park, Pa. - The eighth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (20-3) travels to EIVA opponent NJIT on Saturday, April 4 at 5:00 p.m. The Nittany Lions need just one more league win to clinch their 25th Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association regular-season title and secure home-court advantage throughout the EIVA playoffs, including the semifinals and Championship, slated for April 30 and May 2. Live scoring will be available via a link at www.GoPSUsports.com.
Previewing Penn State
The Nittany Lions come into the weekend with a 20-3 overall record after sweeping Juniata, Princeton and Mount Olive last week. Senior opposite Ryan Sweitzer and junior outside hitter Will Price lead the squad with 3.45 and 3.43 kills per game. Redshirt freshman setter Edgardo Goas directs the offense with 12.51 assists per game and sophomore libero Dennis Del Valle tops the defense with 3.00 digs per game. Junior middle hitter Max Lipsitz heads the blocking list with 1.22 blocks per game while senior middle hitter Max Holt chips in 1.13 blocks per game. As a team, Penn State ranks first in the country with a .386 hitting percentage while also averaging 15.23 kills per game, 2.00 service aces per game, 9.05 digs per game and 2.86 blocks per game.
The Series: Penn State vs. NJIT
Penn State leads NJIT, 27-1, in a series that began in 1977. The previous meeting this season was a three-game Nittany Lion win (30-16, 30-17, 30-19) on Feb. 28. The last meeting in Newark, N.J., was a three-game Penn State victory (30-27, 30-23, 30-25) on Feb. 2, 2008.
Next Up
Penn State remains on the road for the next two weekends, traveling to 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.