March 24, 2014
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After guiding the No. 13 Penn State men's volleyball team (15-6) to a 1-1 weekend on the road against two nationally ranked foes, junior Aaron Russell has earned EIVA Offensive Player of the Week honors. The award marks the third time Russell has received weekly conference recognition in 2014.
Russell opened the weekend with a team-high 18 kills on .452 hitting in a 3-1 loss at top-ranked Loyola Chicago. The next night, he returned to the court to lead the team to a 3-1 victory at No. 10 Lewis, posting a match-high 22 kills to go along with five digs and four aces.
In the national standings, Russell's 0.55 aces per set ranks third, while his 3.95 kills per frame ranks 10th. Heading into the week, he's ranked atop the EIVA standings in three different categories, including aces per set (0.55), kills per set (3.95) and points per set (4.71).
Russell and the rest of the Penn State men's volleyball team return home this weekend from a seven-match road swing to host a pair of conference contests at Rec Hall. PSU hosts Princeton Friday, March 28th at 7 p.m. before taking on George Mason Saturday, March 29th at 7 p.m. on senior night.