March 17, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The ninth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (15-5, 7-0 EIVA) is back in action at Rec Hall this weekend, hosting Ball State and IPFW. The Nittany Lions take on the Cardinals on Friday at 7 p.m. followed by the Mastodons on Saturday, also at 7 p.m.
Penn State Preview
The Nittany Lions own a 15-5 record heading into the final eight regular season matches before postseason. Penn State returned from a three-match week where the Nittany Lions defeated UC Santa Barbara, 3-1, but suffered a 3-2 setback to UCLA and a 3-1 loss to Long Beach. Redshirt junior Joe Sunder led the Nittany Lions with 4.31 kills per set, while sophomore Tom Comfort wasn't far behind pounding 3.46 kills per set. Redshirt junior setter Edgardo Goas paced the Nittany Lion offense with 10.69 assists per set, while senior libero Dennis Del Valle had a team-best 2.00 digs per set. Sophomore Ian Hendries was a wall at the net with 0.92 blocks per set. The Nittany Lions averaged 13.38 kills, 12.69 assists, 0.77 aces, 7.08 digs and 2.00 blocks per set against in three matches.
Penn State vs. Ball State
The Nittany Lions are 58-19 all-time against the Cardinals. The squads first met in 1977 and have faced each other every year since. Last season, the Nittany Lions faced the Cardinals twice. Penn State swept Ball State on Feb. 19 before defeating the Cardinals, 3-2, in Muncie Ind. on April 1.
Scouting the Cardinals
Ball State is 11-7 so far in 2011. The Cardinals have won four of their last five matches, most recently sweeping Princeton on March 12. Ball State's most recent loss came at the hands of nationally-ranked Ohio State on March 11.
Penn State vs. IPFW
The Nittany Lions have compiled a 39-13 record against the Mastodons dating back to 1984. The teams met two times in 2010, first on Feb. 20 with PSU winning, 3-0, and again at IPFW on April 2 with the Nittany Lions earning a 3-1 victory.
Scouting the Mastodons
IPFW owns a 10-7 record so far this season and are currently on a four-match winning streak. The Mastodons are 1-5 in 2011 against nationally-ranked teams with their lone win coming against then No. 15 Pacific.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions hit the road against March 25-26. Penn State takes on Princeton on Friday before taking on Rutgers-Newark on Saturday. The Lions return home April 2 to host George Mason.
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.