March 19, 2011
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The ninth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (17-5) secured a 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-22) win against IPFW (11-8) of the MIVA. Penn State is back on the road next weekend visiting Princeton on March 25 and Rutgers-Newark on March 26.
In honor of All-American Matt Anderson's father Mike Anderson, who passed away unexpectedly in 2010, the Penn State volleyball family has chosen to honor one Nittany Lion at the conclusion of each match in honor of Mike. Senior Dennis Del Valle (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) was named the Mike Anderson Player of the Game for his efforts against IPFW.
Redshirt junior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) led the Nittany Lions with 12 kills and redshirt freshman Scott Kegerreis (Honeybrook, Pa.) was second on the team with eight. Kegerreis pounded all eight kills in the third set on .312 hitting. Redshirt junior Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) paced the Nittany Lion offense with 34 assists and had a team-high two aces. Del Valle had a season-high 18 digs, while senior Alan Mars (Rochester, N.Y.) was a wall at the net with five total blocks.
Penn State registered a .196 attack percentage and IPFW wasn't far behind at .163. The Nittany Lions totals 38 kills, three aces, 44 digs and 9.5 team blocks. The Mastodons posted 36 kills, two aces, 31 digs and 8.5 team blocks.
The Mastodons opened the match taking an 8-4 lead and forcing a Penn State timeout. IPFW continued to dominate the set until a 4-1 PSU run had the score knotted at 14-14. The score tied again at 15-15 before a triple block by freshman Jace Olsen (Manhattan Beach, Calif.), Mars and sophomore Tom Comfort (Orchard Park, N.Y.) put the Lions in front. Penn State grabbed the lead for good after two errors by IPFW, 18-16. The Mastodons called a timeout, but a PSU continued to develop momentum as their lead grew to five, 21-16. IPFW burned its final timeout, but it was to no avail. Two IPFW errors and kills from Sunder and Olsen helped give Penn State a 25-19 first set win.
IPFW grabbed the early lead in the second frame, 6-3, but a 7-1 PSU run moved the Lions into the lead by three, 10-7. The Mastodons called a timeout and managed to slow the Nittany Lions enough to keep it close. Midway through the set, the score was tied at 15-15 after two straight IPFW kills. The score tied two more times before kills from Olsen and Sunder and joint stuff by Comfort and sophomore Nick Turko (Lewisberry, Pa.) gave PSU a three-point advantage, 20-17. IPFW used a second timeout and cut the gap to one, 21-20. The Nittany Lions headed to the bench but a PSU error had the score tied ninth time in the set, 21-21. Another PSU error moved the Mastodons into the lead, 22-21. However, a Sunder kill and a solo block by Turko put PSU back in the lead, 23-22. The scored tied again at 23-23 but a Sunder kill and a IPFW error gave set two to Penn State, 25-23.
The third set saw neither team develop any early momentum as the lead changed hands four times before a 4-0 Penn State run moved the Lions ahead by three, 11-8. Penn State maintained at least a one-point edge until a 3-0 run by the Mastodons had the set neck-in-neck at 15-15. Penn State called a timeout and Olsen put Penn State back in the lead with a kill. However, it wasn't until kills from Kegerreis and Sunder that Penn State commanded control of the set, 19-17. IPFW used a timeout, but Penn State never let go of the lead. IPFW crept to within two, 24-22, after holding Penn State at match point for three straight points. However, Olsen closed out the set and the match for PSU with a kill, 25-22.
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.