May 4, 2011
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UnIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 10th-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team earned the No. 2 seed to the 2011 NCAA National Collegiate Men's Volleyball Championship held at Rec Hall on the campus of Penn State University on May 5 and 7. The Nittany Lions are set to face MIVA Champion and third-seeded Ohio State at 9 p.m. on May 5. Top-seeded USC and No. 4 seed UCSB play in the earlier semifinal match at 7 p.m. The winners of each match play for the NCAA title on May 7 at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall.
All three matches will be shown live on ESPN2 and ESPN3.com. Links to live stats are available on GoPSUsports.com.
Single match tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for youth and students and $5 for groups of 15 or more. Tickets can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Bryce Jordan Center Ticket Office for walk up customers. Phone orders are also being accepted via 814-865-5555 during the same hours. In addition, all-session tickets are currently on sale for the National Championship. Prices are $25 for adults and $15 for youth, students and senior citizens. Tickets can also be purchased beginning May 4 at the Rec Hall Ticket Office.
Penn State Preview
With a 3-1 victory against Rutgers-Newark and a sweep of Springfield in the EIVA Championship, Penn State won its 13th consecutive EIVA title and earned an automatic berth into the NCAA National Semifinals. The Nittany Lions are making their 26th overall appearance in the NCAAs and their 13th straight.
The Nittany Lions combined to hit .269 in the EIVA Championship. PSU averaged 13.14 kills per set, 11.71 assists per set, 1.71 aces per set, 8.57 digs per set and 2.14 blocks per set. Redshirt junior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) led the team with 3.43 kills per set, while redshirt junior Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) averaged 11.00 assists per set. Senior Dennis Del Valle (Toa Alta, Puerto Rico) was a strong presence on defense with 3.57 digs per set, as was sophomore Nick Turko (Lewisberry, Pa.) who had 1.29 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Ohio State
The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are meeting for the third time this season. Ohio State won the first meeting, 3-0, on Feb. 9 in Columbus but Penn State earned a 3-1 triumph on April 10 in the confines of Rec Hall. Penn State is 65-24-1 all-time against the Buckeyes and the teams last met in the NCAA National Semifinals in 2008 at UC Irvine. Penn State won the match, 3-1.
Scouting the Buckeyes
The ninth-ranked Buckeyes earned the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Championship after defeating Loyola-Chicago, 3-1, for the MIVA Championship title. Ohio State is 24-6 overall this season and have won their last four matches.
Penn State vs. Potential NCAA Championship Opponents
USC
The Nittany Lions own a 6-17 record against the Trojans. Penn State and USC last met on May 7, 2009 in the NCAA National Semifinals in Provo, Utah. USC earned a 3-1 victory to advance to the championship match.
UCSB
Penn State last met UCSB on March 11 in Long Beach, Calif. The Nittany Lions earned a 3-1 victory against the Gauchos. PSU is 6-8 all-time against UCSB. The teams have never met in NCAA action.
What's Next?
Should the Nittany Lions defeat Ohio State in the NCAA National Semifinals, they will face the winner of the USC/UCSB match on Saturday, May 7 at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall.
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.