March 24, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 10th-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (17-5, 7-0 EIVA) is back on the road this weekend traveling to Princeton and Rutgers-Newark. The Nittany Lions take on the Tigers on Friday, March 25 followed by the Scarlet Raiders on Saturday, March 26. Both matches are set for 7 p.m. starts.
Penn State Preview
The Nittany Lions own a 17-5 record heading into the final six regular season matches before postseason play begins. Penn State is back on the road after hosting Ball State and IPFW on March 18-19. Redshirt junior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) helped guide the Nittany Lions to victories against Ball State and IPFW. He averaged 4.83 kills per set, while redshirt junior Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) dished out 12.33 assists per set. Senior Dennis Del Valle (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) led the team with 3.83 digs per set and sophomore Nick Turko (Lewisberry, Pa.) was strong up front with 1.17 blocks per set. Penn State hit .256 for the weekend averaging 14.50 kills, 14.00 assists, 2.17 aces, 10.67 digs and 2.75 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Princeton
The Nittany Lions are 39-2 all-time against the Tigers. Princeton and Penn State have met once this season on March 12. The Nittany Lions came away with a 3-0 victory in the South Gym of Rec Hall.
Scouting the Tigers
Princeton is 2-13 overall and has yet to win a match in EIVA play. The Tigers opened their season with two losses before defeating Hope International, 3-1. Since then, Princeton was unable to tally any wins until March 20 when the Tigers earned a convincing 3-0 victory against Juniata.
Penn State vs. Rutgers-Newark
The Nittany Lions have compiled a 80-24-1 record against the Scarlet Raiders. The teams met twice in 2010 and Penn State was 1-1 against RN. The Lions most recently met Rutgers-Newark on Feb. 11 and earned a 3-1 win dealing the Scarlet Raiders their first loss of the 2011 season.
Scouting the Scarlet Raiders
Rutgers-Newark is 13-7 overall with a 3-7 record in the EIVA. The Scarlet Raiders have only won one of their last five matches. The squad's last win came against Stevens on March 11. RN headed to California where they have recorded losses to Cardinal Stritch (Mo.), Cal Baptist and Pepperdine. The Scarlet Raiders take on Saint Francis Friday before arriving in State College.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions return home for two straight weekends. Penn State hosts George Mason on April 2 at 7 p.m. before welcome Ohio State to Rec Hall on Sunday, April 10 for a 5p.m. match, which will air live on the Big Ten Network.
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.