March 31, 2010
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Ball State Live Stats
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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The ninth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team travels to Indiana this week to take on No. 15 Ball State and IPFW. The Nittany Lions meet the Cardinals on Thursday, April 1 at 7 p.m. before heading to face the Mastodons at 7 p.m. on April 2.
Live stats will be available for both matches via a link at GoPSUsports.com.
Penn State Preview
With a 3-0 sweep of Princeton on Friday, March 26, the Nittany Lions claimed the EIVA title, a quarterfinal bye and home-court advantage for the 2010 EIVA Tournament. Despite a 3-1 setback to Rutgers-Newark on March 27, Penn State is 18-5 overall with a perfect 9-0 record in league play.
On Friday, March 26 the Lions hosted Princeton in their final home match of the regular season. PSU swept the Tigers 30-20, 30-24, 30-24. The Nittany Lions failed to carry their momentum into the match at Rutgers-Newark. The Scarlet Raiders handed the Lions a 3-1 (28-30, 28-30, 30-24, 28-30) loss. Penn State averaged 15.85 kills per set, 14.71 assists per set, 1.43 aces per set, 13.00 digs per set and 2.64 blocks per set. Senior Will Price had a team-best 4.00 kps, while redshirt sophomore Joe Sunder averaged 3.71 kps. Redshirt sophomore setter Edgardo Goas had 11.43 aps and junior libero Dennis Del Valle registered 4.86 dps. Senior Max Lipsitz was a wall at the net with 1.14 bps.
Penn State vs. Ball State
The Nittany Lions are 57-19 all-time against the Cardinals. This is the second meeting between the two squads this season. Penn State soundly defeated Ball State on Feb. 19 at home, 3-0.
Notes on the Cardinals
Ball State is 13-8 overall with a 4-4 record in MIVA play. The Cardinals are fresh off a trip to the 2010 Don Shondell/Active Ankle Challenge at Cal-State Northridge on March 26-27. Despite losing their first match, 3-0, the Cardinals rallied and defeated Northridge 3-0 the next day. Jamion Hartley leads the Cardinals with 3.19 kps, while Ethan Pheister has been handling the setting duties with 11.44 aps. Billy Ebel has a team-best 3.04 dps and J.D. Gasparovic has been a wall at the net with 1.31 bps.
Penn State vs. IPFW
The Nittany Lions are 38-13 against the Mastodons. Penn State hosted IPFW on February 20 in South Gym. The Lions came out on top with a 3-0 victory.
Notes on the Mastodons
IPFW heads into the weekend with an overall record of 9-12 and a 2-6 record in MIVA play. The Mastodons have only won one of their last five matches, a 3-0 win at Carthage on March 26. UPFW faces Lewis on March 31 before welcoming the Lions to the Gates Sports Center on April 2. Daryll Shank leads the Mastodons with 4.66 kps with Dan Mader averaging 12.40 aps. Phil Peterson has a team-high 2.82 dps, while Corey Frain and Oliver Kook lead the team in blocking with 1.25 and 1.12 bps, respectively.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions continue their six-match road trip on April 9-10. Penn State makes its second trip to California to challenge UC Santa Barbara and Cal State-Northridge. Action is set for 7 p.m. PT both nights.
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.