April 20, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The seventh-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team concludes the regular season on Saturday, April 21 against Saint Francis. Action is set for 7 p.m. in Rec Hall. Prior to the match, Nittany Lion seniors, Tor Covello (Yardley, Pa.), Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) and Ryan Wolf (York, Pa.) will be honored for their contributions to the program during the last four years.
Penn State Preview
Penn State owns a 20-5 overall record and is a perfect 13-0 in EIVA action heading into their final match of the regular season.
Junior Tom Comfort (Orchard Park, N.Y.) had a team-best 3.57 kills per set, while freshman Aaron Russell (Ellicott City, Md.) had 2.57 per set. Goas averaged 9.900 assists per set and had a team-best 2.00 digs per set. Comfort and Sunder each averaged 1.71 digs per set. Russell was Penn State's leading block with 0.57 per set.
For the weekend Penn State hit .235 and averaged 11.29 kills per set, 10.43 assists per set, 1.29 aces per set, 7.00 digs per set and 1.21 blocks per set.
Penn State vs. Saint Francis
The Nittany Lions are a perfect 29-0 all-time against the Red Flash dating back to 1995. The squads met previously this season on Saint Francis' home court with Penn State winning, 3-0. The last time the Red Flash took a set from Penn State was on Feb. 23, 2011 when Saint Francis earned a 25-22 first set win. The Nittany Lions rallied, however, to win the next three sets and take the match, 3-1.
Last five meetings:
3/17/12, A - W. 25-18, 25-21, 25-17
2/23/11, A - W, 22-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-18
1/21/11, H - W, 25-18, 20-25, 25-19, 25-22
3/19/10, A - W, 30-19, 30-19, 30-26
1/15/10, H - W, 30-22, 30-20, 30-20
Scouting the Red Flash
Saint Francis owns a 12-14 overall record and are 7-6 in the EIVA. They are gunning to be the fourth team in the EIVA Semifinals. The Red Flash has won two of its last five matches, defeating Princeton and Sacred Heart, but losing to Harvard, George Mason and NJIT all in four sets.
What's Next?
Penn State is hosting the EIVA Semifinals and Championship on April 26-28. Matches are set for 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. on April 26 at Rec Hall. The championship match is scheduled for 7 p.m. on April 28.
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.