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March 10, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - After a week off, Penn State kicks off its spring break trip on the west coast, heading to No. 7 USC to take on the Trojans Tuesday, March 10 at 10:30 p.m. ET in the Galen Center. The Nittany Lions then head to Long Beach State to compete in the Asics Tournament with matches against Cal State Northridge Friday, March 13 at 8 p.m. ET and the eighth-ranked tournament host 49ers Saturday, March 14 at 10 p.m. ET at Walter Pyramid.
Tuesday's matchup at USC will broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network with Kevin Barnett and Dain Blanton on the call. Live video and audio streams are also available.
QUICK SETS
* Penn State went 2-0 in its most recent two matches, beating Sacred Heart and Harvard on the road (2/27-2/28) to improve to 4-0 in EIVA conference action.
* PSU and USC will square off for the first time since 2012. The Trojans own an 18-6 advantage in the all-time series against the Nittany Lions since capturing a 3-0 win in the most recent outing at the Galen Center March 9, 2012.
* Penn State met both Long Beach State and Cal State Northridge in last year's tournament at LBSU. PSU opened the event with a 3-0 win against the Matadors, but fell short in three sets to the 49ers the next evening.
* Overall, the Nittany Lions hold a 9-4 lead in the all-time series against CSUN, but trail 6-15 in the series against Long Beach State.
* In last year's tournament at LBSU, Matt Callaway and Matt Seifert each earned all-tournament team honors, while Nick Goodell highlighted the weekend with a double-double (15k, 11d) against the Matadors.
* The Nittany Lions are entering the week averaging 9.60 digs per set, which ranks seventh nationally and first in the conference. Redshirt senior Connor Curry is leading the team with 2.51 digs per frame, which is slotted seventh nationally and tops in the EIVA standings.
* Penn State is ranked among the top 15 nationally in kills per set, averaging 12.62, which is slated 11th in the country and leads the EIVA. Senior Aaron Russell's contributing a team-high 4.38 kills per set, which ranks second in the nation and first in the league.
* Penn State moved back into the AVCA Top 15 Coaches Poll last week having spent a month receiving votes. This week, PSU is currently slated 15th. The Nittany Lions have now seen or will see a total of 11 teams from the top 15 at some point during the regular season.
PAVLIK APPROACHING CAREER MARK
In his 21st year at the helm of the program, head coach Mark Pavlik has amassed 488 career victories. His all-time mark puts him just 12 shy of the milestone 500 career-wins plateau.
LAST TIME OUT
Redshirt seniors Connor Curry and Nick Goodell along with senior Aaron Russell are the only three Nittany Lions to have experience on the court against the Trojans. The Nittany Lions came up short in a 3-0 loss on the road at the Galen Center in 2012, despite a strong defensive performance from Curry. Curry led the Nittany Lions with 10 digs, while Russell led the team with two aces and a pair of blocks. Goodell contributed six kills, two digs and one block.
Penn State swept past CSUN in last year's opening match of the Active Ankle Tournament at Long Beach State. Goodell led the way with his third double-double of the season, tallying a team-high 15 kills to go along with a squad-best 11 digs. Russell also finished in double figures with 11 kills. Matt Callaway and Matt Seifert each tallied multi-block performances.
Despite double digit kill performances from Russell, Goodell and Seifert, Penn State fell short in a 3-0 loss to the 49ers a year ago. Russell paced the team with 11 kills, while Goodell and Seifert tallied 10 each.
STEPPING UP!
Five weeks ago, sophomore Chris Nugent highlighted the weekend with a pair of career high performances. In his first career start against Mount Olive, Nugent led the offense with a match-high 16 kills on .500 hitting, adding three aces, five digs and two blocks to earn Mike Anderson Penn State Player of the Match honors.
The next night, he set another career-high mark with a match-high seven aces against Saint Francis. Against Erskine, he tied for first on the team with 12 kills, while also adding two aces and a career-high five blocks. Since earning his first start, he's ranked third on the team with 2.11 kills per set and second in aces per set (0.43) with 15 aces on the year.
Redshirt freshman Aidan Albrecht has also seen increased action on the court since stepping into the middle position after an injury sidelined starter Matt Seifert. He made his collegiate debut in the 2015 EIVA opener against Saint Francis, before posting a career-high four blocks against Erskine. Against George Mason he tallied a career-high five kills.
AVCA DI-II COACHES' POLL UPDATE: MARCH 9
Penn State moved back into the AVCA Top 15 Coaches Poll last week having spent a month receiving votes. This week, PSU is currently slated 15th. The Nittany Lions have now seen or will see a total of 11 teams from the top 15 at some point during the regular season.
RALLYING FOR A CAUSE
Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik helped raise awareness for the EIVA's "EIVA Rallies!" campaign by wearing a fedora in the Nittany Lions' EIVA opener against travel partner, Saint Francis. Each year, Penn State men's volleyball participates in the annual campaign, which benefits the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. During the EIVA Rallies! silent auction, PSU raised nearly $700 to donate to the cause on behalf of the Nittany Lions.
The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center is one of the largest and oldest private cancer centers. Throughout its history, the center has dedicated more than 100 years to patient care and innovative research.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Nittany Lions return home from the road to welcome Big Ten opponent Ohio State to the court in Rec Hall. Penn State takes on the Buckeyes Saturday, March 21 in a mid-afternoon matchup set for 2 p.m. in Rec Hall.