Feb. 4, 2010
Complete release in pdf format
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The No. 8 Penn State men's volleyball team welcomes Rutgers-Newark and Springfield to Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions (6-2, 3-0 EIVA) take on the Scarlet Raiders on Friday at 7 p.m. and the Pride on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Due to both matches being played in the South Gym of Rec Hall, live stats will not be available.
Penn State Preview
The Nittany Lions return to Rec Hall this weekend for two of six consecutive home matches. Penn State is 2-0 at home this season with wins against Saint Francis (3-0) and Juniata (3-0).
Penn State finished the weekend attacking at a combined .307 clip. The Lions averaged 16.78 kills per set, 15.78 assists per set, 1.00 aces per set, 12.11 digs per set and 2.72 blocks per set. Senior Will Price led PSU with 5.33 kps and redshirt sophomore Edgardo Goas paced the Lion offense with 14.67 aps. Junior Dennis Del Valle registered a 3.11 dps average and senior Max Lipsitz was a wall at the net with 1.56 bps.
Penn State vs. Rutgers-Newark
The Nittany Lions and the Scarlet Raiders have met 101 times with PSU holding a 78-23 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1977. The two squads haven't meet since 2007. PSU won the first meeting on March 8, 3-0, and defeated the Scarlet Raiders, 3-1, on March 23. Penn State's last loss to Rutgers-Newark was on March 26, 2004 when the Scarlet Raiders won 3-1.
Notes on the Scarlet Raiders
Rutgers-Newark is 1-4 so far this season with their only win coming in a 3-0 sweep of NYU. The Scarlet Raiders have suffered losses at the hands of Ball State, IPFW, Saint Francis and Lewis. Jon Keller, this week's EIVA Hay Player of the Week, is tied for the team lead with 52 kills (2.36 kps). He also leads the team in blocking with a 1.14 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Springfield
Penn State is 29-0 all-time vs. Springfield, including sweeping the Pride on Jan. 23 of this year. The two teams first met in 1977, but the first win on record against the Pride was on April 21-22 at the ECVL Tournament. The Lions defeated Springfield, 2-0.
Notes on the Pride
The Nittany Lions already met the Pride once this season on Jan. 23 and won 3-0. Springfield is 3-3 overall this season with wins against Vassar, Sacred Heart and Rivier. Senior AJ Nally leads the Pride averaging 3.57 kills per set and 2.62 digs per set. Junior middle blocker Cal Palumbo, this week's EIVA Tait Player of the Week, has also been strong early in the season. Palumbo is averaging 2.81 kills per set on .558 hitting.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions remain at home for the next two weekends. Penn State welcomes Laval on Feb. 12-13 with both matches starting at 7 p.m. The match on Feb. 12 will be played in South Gym. The Nittany Lions host Ball State on Feb. 19 and IPFW on Feb. 20.
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.