March 2, 2010
Complete Release in PDF Format
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lions travel to Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday night for a midweek match with the Buckeyes. It is the second of three meetings with the Buckeyes in 2010.
Follow The Nittany Lions in Columbus
Live stats and a live webstream will be available for the match at Ohio State. Links to both can be found at GoPSUsports.com.
Penn State Preview
Penn State is fresh off a 3-0 sweep of Princeton on Friday, Feb. 26. The Nittany Lions averaged 15.67 kills per set, 14.67 assists per set, 2.67 aces per set, 9.33 digs per set and 2.33 blocks per set. Sophomore Ryan Wolf and redshirt sophomore Joe Sunder had a team-best 3.67 kps. Redshirt sophomore Edgardo Goas averaged 10.50 aps in two sets, while sophomore Tor Covello contributed 9.50 aps in two sets. Wolf led the Lions with 3.00 dps and senior Will Price had a team-leading 1.33 aces per set.
Penn State vs. Ohio State
The Nittany Lions hold a 62-22 all-time record against the Buckeyes. The teams first met in 1978 at the Ohio State Invitational where Penn State finished fifth. The Lions and the Buckeyes met three times in 2009 with Penn State sweeping Ohio State in all three matches. Ohio State's last win against the Lions came on April 4, 2007 when the Buckeyes defeated PSU in five sets. The Lions and Buckeyes met earlier this season at the Hawaii Outrigger Invitational with PSU earning a 3-1 win against OSU.
Notes on the Buckeyes
Ohio State is 10-6 overall with a 5-1 record in MIVA play. The Buckeyes opened the season at the Hawaii Outrigger Invitational, but didn't secure their first win until Jan. 15 vs. IPFW. Despite a loss to Saint Francis, the Buckeyes rebounded for a seven-match winning streak. Most recently, Ohio State defeated George Mason, 3-0, on February 26, but suffered a 3-0 loss to UC Santa Barbara on February 27. Sophomore Shawn Sangrey leads the Buckeyes with 4.07 kills per set, while redshirt junior Steven Kehoe is serving as the primary setter with 13.00 assists per set. Sophomore Mik Berzins is averaging a team-best 2.26 digs per set and freshman Grayson Overman is putting up 1.43 blocks per set.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions return home for a match with George Mason on Saturday, March 6. Action is set for 7 p.m. in Rec Hall's South Gym. Penn State heads on the road for four straight matches beginning with UC Irvine on March 10. The Lions take on BYU (March 12) and LBSU (March 13) in the Active Ankle Challenge before returning to Pennsylvania for a match with Saint Francis on March 19.
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.