Feb. 3, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The fifth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (5-1) earned a convincing 3-0 (25-20, 25-6, 25-12) victory against Mount Olive in the team's home opener. The Nittany Lions hit a blistering .507 against the Trojans.
Sophomore Peter Russell (Ellicott City, Md.), who was named the Mike Anderson Penn State Player of the Game, led the Lions with nine kills on 14 errorless swings for a career-high .643 hitting percentage. Freshman Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) was second on the team with seven kills with zero errors in nine swings, while sophomore Jace Olsen (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) also posted seven kills on .417 hitting. Redshirt senior Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) dished out 24 assists and redshirt freshman Connor Curry (Newport Beach, Calif.) had a match-high seven digs. A. Russell led the team with six total blocks, while junior Ian Hendries (Cardiff, Calif.) and Tom Comfort (Orchard Park, N.Y.) had three apiece.
The Nittany Lions totaled 41 kills, seven aces, 21 digs and 11.5 total team blocks. Mount Olive (2-5) finished the night hitting .016 with 20 kills, 12 digs and 3.0 blocks.
Junior Nick Turko (Lewisberry, Pa.) opened the match for the Lions with back-to-back kills, but three straight errors put Mount Olive on top, 3-2. A kill from redshirt freshman Nick Goodell (Ambridge, Pa.) and two straight aces by Olsen moved Penn State back in the lead, 5-3. Penn State maintained a slim lead until a PSU error and a Trojan kill had the score knotted at 10-10. The score tied six times before two consecutive Mount Olive kills had the Trojans in front, 18-16. Penn State called a timeout and used a 4-1 run for a 20-19 edge. Mount Olive used a timeout, but a kill from A. Russell and a Trojan error had the Lions with a three-point lead, 22-19. After a second Mount Olive timeout, two kills by P. Russell and a MOC error secured a 25-20 set one win.
The second frame flew by as Penn State leapt to a 10-2 lead to start the set. A PSU service error turned the ball over to Mount Olive, but a kill by A. Russell sparked a 7-1 run for a 17-4 advantage. Mount Olive called a timeout, but P. Russell tallied an ace. Despite a Nittany Lion error, a 6-0 run had Penn State at set point, 24-6. Olsen pounded a kill to close out the second set for Penn State, 25-6.
Penn State continued to dominate in the third stanza taking an 8-2 lead straight away. A MOC block and a kill cut off the early PSU run, but a putdown by senior Tor Covello (Yardley, Pa.) and two Lion block had Penn State ahead by eight, 12-4. Two more Mount Olive errors had Penn State's lead in double-digits, 14-4. Adam Miracle pounded a kill for the Trojans, but Penn State continued to maintain momentum and scored on three kills for a 17-6 lead. Mount Olive burned its second timeout, but it failed to faze the Nittany Lions. Two kills by Comfort, one from junior Kyle Mars (Rochester, N.Y.) and a triple block pushed Penn State towards a win with a 22-11 lead. A MOC error and a Covello ace had Penn State sitting at match point, 24-11. A PSU service error gave the ball back to Mount Olive one final time before Comfort put one away for a strong 25-12 victory.
Penn State continues play on Saturday, Feb. 4 vs. Cal-Baptist at 7:30 p.m. in Rec Hall. No. 9 Ohio State takes on Mount Olive in the earlier match at 5 p.m.
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.