Feb. 18, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 7 Penn State men's volleyball team (8-2, 4-0) hosts Ball State and IPFW this weekend at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions take on the Cardinals on Friday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m. in the Main Gym before taking on the Mastodons on Saturday at 7 p.m. in South Gym.
Live stats will be available for Friday's match via a link at GoPSUsports.com and the match will be streamed on BigTenNetwork.com. However, due to technical issues, the match will not be available on the site until Saturday. The match will re-air on Monday, Feb. 22 on the Big Ten Network at 11:30 a.m.
Penn State Preview
The Nittany Lions are back in action at Rec Hall this weekend with one match in the Main Gym and a second in South Gym. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m.
Penn State hosted Laval in two matches last weekend winning both by scores of 3-1. The Lions attacked at a combined .351 clip, averaging 17.25 kills per set, 15.62 assists per set, 1.38 aces per set, 8.62 digs per set and 3.12 blocks per set. Senior Will Price led the team with 4.12 kps, while redshirt sophomore Edgardo Goas had 14.12 aps. Junior Dennis Del Valle had a team-high 2.62 dps and Ian Hendries averaged 2.20 bps.
Penn State vs. Ball State
The Nittany Lions own a 56-19 record against the Cardinals. Last season, Penn State defeated Ball State 3-1 on Jan. 23 before later sweeping the Cardinals, 3-0, on April 17. Ball State's last win against the Nittany Lions occurred in 2006 in Penn State's second match of the season on Jan. 14. The Cardinals won 3-0 (30-22, 30-28, 30-28).
Notes on the Cardinals
Ball State is 7-3 overall this season with a 2-3 record in MIVA play. The Cardinals recently played MIVA foe Quincy in back-to-back matches on Feb. 12-13. Ball State won the first match in five sets, but suffered a 3-1 setback in the rematch. Lee Meyer leads the Cardinals in kills with 127 (3.43 kpd) and Ethan Pheister is averaging 11.95 aps. Billy Ebel has a team-best 118 digs (3.19 dps), while Anders Nelson boasts a team-high 56 total blocks (1.47 bps).
Penn State vs. IPFW
Penn State is 37-13 all-time against the Mastodons in a series dating back to 1984. The Nittany Lions took on IPFW twice in 2009 winning the first match on Feb. 21, 3-1, and the second match, 3-0, on March 20. IPFW's last victory against Penn State was on Jan. 13, 2007. The Mastodons swept the Lions, 3-0 (30-28, 30-28, 30-25).
Notes on the Mastodons
IPFW opened the season with two matches against NJIT, winning both 3-0. This weekend marks just the second road trip of the year for IPFW. The Mastodons are 0-1 outside the Gates Sports Center after a 3-0 loss to Ohio State on Jan. 15. Daryl Shank currently leads the Mastodons with 195 kills (5.42 kps), while Dan Mader is serving as the team's primary setter with 13.73 aps. Oliver Kook is the team's leader at the net with 1.03 bps and Shaun Dryden is averaging 3.38 dps at libero.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions are back on the road on Feb. 26 for a match at Princeton. Action is set for 7 p.m. Penn State is on the road again on March 3 at Ohio State before returning to Rec Hall on March 6 for a match with George Mason.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State men's volleyball 2010 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets At Hershey.