Feb. 9, 2011
COLUMBUS, Ohio - The ninth-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions (7-3) suffered a 3-0 (17-25, 20-25, 21-25) setback to No. 6 Ohio State in a midweek matchup. The match will air on the Big Ten Network on Thursday at 10 a.m.
Redshirt junior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) led the team with 13 kills, while freshman Peter Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) was second on the team with seven kills on a team-best .385 attack percentage. Redshirt junior Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) dished out 36 assists, while senior libero Dennis Del Valle (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) had a squad-best nine digs. Sophomore Ian Hendries (Cardiff, Calif.) and Sunder each put up two blocks.
Penn State hit .232, while the Buckeyes registered a .370 hitting percentage. The Nittany Lions totaled 39 kills, two aces, 25 digs and 3.0 total team blocks. Ohio State finished the match with 39 kills, seven aces, 32 digs and 4.0 team blocks.
The first set started out close with the lead changing hands four times before a 4-0 OSU run gave the Buckeyes a 10-7 lead. After a Penn State timeout, the Nittany Lions fought back to within two, 12-10, with the aid of kills by Sunder and sophomore Nick Turko (Lewisberry, Pa.). However, a 8-1 Buckeye run had Ohio State leading, 20-11. Ohio State's run came to an end with a service error. Despite a kill from redshirt freshman Scott Kegerreis (Honeybrook, Pa.), an OSU block and PSU error had the Buckeyes ahead by 10, 23-13. An ace by the Buckeyes had Ohio State at set-point, but kills from Russell and Goas and an OSU attack error had Penn State trailing by only eight, 24-16. Ohio State called a timeout and Russell pounded one final kill for the Nittany Lions before Ohio State claimed set one on a kill by Shawn Sangrey, 25-17.
Ohio State jumped out to an 8-4 lead in set two. However, the Nittany Lions stayed in it fighting slowly with an 8-5 run to knot the score at 12-12. Sangrey sparked a 4-0 OSU run with a kill that forced Penn State to call a timeout midway through the frame with Ohio State leading 16-12. The Buckeyes maintained control as the set continued before back-to-back Sunder putdowns had PSU within two, 20-18. Following an Ohio State timeout, Penn State trailed by now more than three until two straight errors secured set two for the Buckeyes, 25-21.
Penn State opened set three with a fire noticeably absent in the first two stanzas. The Nittany Lions developed an 8-5 advantage to force Ohio State to call a timeout early on in the set. Penn State held onto the lead until a 3-1 OSU run had the set tied at 13-13. The score tied twice more before an ace by junior Tor Covello (Yardley, Pa.) and a Russell kill moved PSU ahead by two, 17-15. Kills from Steven Kehoe and Sangrey had the set tied at 17-17 and soon after two straight attack errors by the Lions put the Buckeyes in the lead, 20-18. Penn State called a timeout, but it failed to slow Ohio State. The Buckeyes closed out the set with a 5-2 run for a 25-20 victory.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions remain at home for the next two weekends. On Feb. 11-12, Penn State hosts Rutgers-Newark and Princeton before welcome Mount Olive and Lees McRae to Rec Hall on Feb. 18-19.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State men's volleyball 2011 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets at Hershey.