March 23, 2015
By Tyler Feldman, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Senior outside hitter Aaron Russell notched a double-double (30 kills, 14 digs) and redshirt freshman Jalen Penrose added 19 kills as No. 10 Penn State (10-9, 4-0 EIVA) extended its winning streak to six matches after topping Big Ten foe No. 11 Ohio State (15-6, 7-3 MIVA) in five sets (22-25, 25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 15-9) this past Saturday night at Rec Hall.
Back on Feb. 11, the Nittany Lions lost in straight sets on the road against the Buckeyes, but thanks to Penrose's strong start and Russell's impressive finish, the Blue and White prevailed.
"We have all EIVA matches coming up, and we're feeling good," Russell said. "We definitely want to host the EIVA Tournament and go back to another Final Four."
This was a match that head coach Mark Pavlik expected between two very physical teams, noting that whoever controlled the net, won the serve and passed well would come out on top.
"When you see the guy next to you working hard and making plays...it's pretty easy to get excited and keep things flowing," Russell said.
Setter Taylor Hammond passed extremely well, tallying a season-high 61 assists. Plus, libero Connor Curry dug 12 balls to keep the Nittany Lions balanced defensively.
"It always feels good to unload on a ball," Russell said. "Credit goes to Taylor [Hammond] for putting it in the right place."
Twelve of Penrose's 19 kills came in the first two sets, while 21 of Russell's 30 kills took place in the final three frames.
"I've just been connecting well with Taylor and that [starting] unit," Penrose said. "They've been embracing me, and I've been embracing them. It's a core work."
According to the veteran Russell, Penrose has really grown and developed into a serious asset for the team.
"It's always fun to see him fly to a ball and unload on it, too...He's a big, physical guy and it's a lot of fun playing with him," Russell said about Penrose. "You can tell that he brings a lot of energy to our team."
After dropping a close set one, the Blue and White battled back to regain the lead by winning sets two and three. The Buckeyes took control and were victorious in set four, presenting a final frame to determine the outcome.
"I think the way we came out of set four is what really set us up for five," Pavlik said.
The Nittany Lions trailed in set four, 19-13, when four straight powerful serves from redshirt sophomore Andrew Roberts tilted momentum. Penn State would eventually lose the set, but carried stellar play into the final game.
"[Roberts] started the whole attitude for game five with that serving run and turning some points," Pavlik said. "Next thing you know, instead of being down by seven or eight, we're now in a three, four point game.... Andrew comes in and serves the ball well...and got us right back on track."
Penn State would side out a perfect 9-for-9 in the fifth set to win a highly competitive non-conference match.
"In order for us to turn points we need to play some defense," Russell said. "With only six blocks we have to come up with points somewhere else.... We were able to just read around our block and see the hitters pretty well."
The Nittany Lions will look to extend their winning streak and conference unbeaten streak this upcoming weekend when they host Princeton on Friday and NJIT on Saturday in the South Gym at Rec Hall.