April 12, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The seventh-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (20-3, 13-0 EIVA) heads on its final road trip of the regular season this weekend when it visits No. 4 BYU. The Nittany Lions will face the Cougars twice, first on Friday, April 13 and again on Saturday, April 14. Both matches are at 9 p.m. ET.
Both matches will air live on BYUtv and will be available online for free at http://byutvsports.com/gameday/. Fans can also follow via Twitter (@BYUVolleyball).
Nittany Lion Preview
The Nittany Lions improved to 20-3 overall and remain undefeated in EIVA action at 13-0 after defeating Sacred Heart and Harvard at home in Rec Hall on April 6-7. Penn State clinched its 28th overall EIVA Championship title with the win against Harvard.
Redshirt freshman Nick Goodell (Ambridge, Pa.) led Penn State with 4.12 kills per set, while redshirt senior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) had 3.75. Redshirt senior Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) dished out 11.50 assists per set and junior Nick Turko (Lewisberry, Pa.) had a team-best 0.57 aces per set. Sunder and Goodell were both leaders on defense with 2.00 digs per set, while redshirt freshman Connor Curry (Newport Beach, Calif.) had 1.62. Freshman Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) averaged a team-high 1.38 blocks per set.
For the weekend Penn State hit .340 and averaged 13.25 kills per set, 12.50 assists per set, 1.12 aces per set, 9.00 digs per set and 2.56 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. BYU
Penn State owns a slight edge in the series with BYU at 9-8. The Nittany Lions series began in 1990 and the squads last met in 2010. Penn State has only won once in the last five meetings, all of which have been in neutral territory. The Cougars and Nittany Lions last met on March 12, 2010 with the Cougars winning, 3-1. Penn State's last win came in Springfield, Mass. on Feb. 5, 2005, 3-2.
Last five meetings:
3/12/10, N - L, 30-26, 33-31, 25-30, 24-30
3/13/09, N - L, 30-21, 27-30, 24-30, 30-28, 11-15
1/26/07, N - L, 22-30, 23-30, 18-30
2/5/05, N - W, 20-30, 23-30, 30-21, 30-25, 15-10
1/6/05, N - L, 30-27, 30-28, 27-30, 24-30, 11-15
Scouting the Cougars
BYU is currently ranked fourth in the nation in the AVCA poll. The Cougars are 20-6 overall and 16-5 in MPSF play. The Cougars have won four of their last six matches, including a 3-2 win against No. 3 UCLA, both a 3-0 sweep and a 3-1 victory against No. 12 CS-Northridge and a 3-0 win against No. 9 LBSU.
What's Next?
The Nittany Lions close out the regular season on April 21 at home. Penn State hosts Saint Francis on Senior Night at 7 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.
The Penn State men's volleyball team is on Twitter. Follow @PSUVolleyball to get the inside scoop.