Feb. 24, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The fifth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (11-1, 5-0 EIVA) earned a 3-0 (25-18, 25-15, 25-18) victory against EIVA foe Princeton (3-4, 2-2 EIVA) Friday evening. The Nittany Lions are back in action on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 5 p.m. against George Mason.
Redshirt senior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) and redshirt freshman Nick Goodell (Ambridge, Pa.) led the Lions with 10 kills apiece. Redshirt senior Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) dished out 37 assists and had three aces and five digs. Redshirt freshman Connor Curry (Newport Beach, Calif.) tied with Goas for the team lead in digs with five also, while seven Nittany Lions contributed in blocking.
The Nittany Lions hit .462 against Princeton, totaling 46 kills, seven aces, 19 digs and 3.5 team blocks. The Tigers hit .234 with 27 kills, no aces, 19 digs and 6.0 team blocks.
Penn State opened the match taking a 6-3 lead. The Tigers kept it close until a 4-1 run by the Lions gave Penn State a 15-10 lead. Princeton called a timeout and tallied a kill. Sunder scored Penn State's next two points for a 17-11 advantage with a kill and a joint stuff with junior Nick Turko (Lewisberry, Pa.). The teams went back and forth with a kill from sophomore Peter Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) keeping PSU ahead by five, 19-14. Princeton used its second time and followed with a 5-2 run to move into set point position 24-17. A PSU error gave the Tigers one final point before Sunder pounded a kill to close out set one, 25-18.
The second frame was close at the start until a four-point run by PSU, with the help of two Princeton errors, had the Lions ahead by four, 12-8. Princeton used a timeout, but it failed to slow Penn State. The Nittany Lions embarked on a 6-2 run for an 18-11 lead. Another Tiger timeout did not faze the Lions who used a 4-1 run, which included an ace from freshman Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.), for a 22-13 lead. Michael Dye put down a kill to end the run, but kills by Goas and Goodell had Penn State at set point, 24-15. A Princeton attack error secured set two for PSU, 25-15.
The Tigers kept the third stanza tight with the score knotted at 7-7 early. A Sunder kill and back-to-back aces by Goes moved Penn State ahead by three, 10-7. The two teams traded kills until a block by Hendries and Goas gave Penn State a 14-10 advantage midway through the set. The Tigers burned a timeout, but three straight kills by the Nittany Lions had the score at 17-10. The Tigers grabbed two points off a Penn State error and a kill from Will Siroky, but kills by sophomore Jace Olsen (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) and Peter Russell and a Sunder ace had the Lions within five points of winning the match, 20-12. Princeton used its final timeout and closed the gap to six, 20-14. However, two errors and a kill by junior Tom Comfort (Orchard Park, N.Y.) had the Lions back ahead by eight, 23-15. The Tigers managed three final points before Aaron Russell pounded a kill for a 25-18 victory.
Following tomorrow night's match with the Patriots, the Wounded Warrior Army Sitting Volleyball team will play two exhibition matches. The Army team will first face members from the Penn State Ability Athletics program before taking on members of the Penn State women's volleyball team. Each match will last one set.
For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State men's volleyball 2012 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets.
Penn State men's volleyball is on Twitter. Follow @PSUVolleyball to get the inside scoop.