March 8, 2011
Complete Release in PDF Format
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 10th-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (14-3, 7-0 EIVA) is prepping to take on eighth-ranked UCLA on Wednesday, March. 9. Action is set for 10 p.m. ET. The Nittany Lions are looking to extend their seven-match winning streak.
Live stats and live audio will be available via a link at GoPSUsports.com.
Penn State Preview
The Nittany Lions improved to 14-3 overall and remained undefeated in conference play with a 3-1 victory at Springfield on March 5. Redshirt junior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) led the Nittany Lions with 4.00 kills per set on .464 hitting. Sophomore Tom Comfort (Orchard Park, N.Y.) wasn't far behind pounding 3.00 kills per set. Redshirt junior setter Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) paced the Nittany Lion offense with 9.50 assists per set, while senior libero Dennis Del Valle (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) had a team-best 2.25 digs per set. Freshman Jace Olsen (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and sophomore Ian Hendries (Cardiff, Calif.) were walls at the net with 1.00 blocks per set. The Nittany Lions averaged 12.50 kills, 1.75 aces, 7.50 digs and 2.50 blocks per set against the Pride.
Penn State vs. UCLA
PSU is 6-24 all-time against UCLA dating back to 1982. The squads have met once already in 2010 at the Hawaii Outrigger Invitational. In Penn State's season opener, the Bruins earned a 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-18) win against the Nittany Lions. Sunder led the Lions against UCLA with a match-high 24 kills.
Scouting the Bruins
UCLA is 11-9 overall this season. The Bruins have won four of their last six matches, including the last three straight. Most recently, UCLA swept Pacific and Cal State Northridge before defeating Long Beach, 3-2. The Bruins' most recent losses have come at the hands of No. 3 Stanford and No. 9 Hawaii.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions continue their California road trip against UC Santa Barbara on March 11 and Long Beach on March 12.
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.