UNIVERSITY PARK, Pennsylvania – The Penn State men's volleyball team earned its second sweep at home with a 3-0 (27-25, 25-17, 25-19) win over McKendree Friday evening at Rec Hall.
Penn State (3-2) improved to 2-2 in nonconference action with the win. McKendree fell to 1-2 overall.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- Both teams traded point-for-point in the first set until Penn State built a 11-8 lead on Cal Fisher kill.
- The Nittany built its lead to has high as five at 24-19 with four-straight points capped by another Fisher kill.
- Nittany Lions had five set points but McKendree rallied off six-straight points to have a chance to win the set at 25-24. A Matt McLaren kill and a block assist by Canyon Tuman and Henrik Falck Lauten closed the set for Penn State.
- Set Score: Penn State 27, McKendree 25
- Match: Penn State leads 1-0
Second Set
- A six-point run that included five kills by the Nittany Lions pulled Penn State ahead 15-8.
- Penn State never trailed in the set and led by as much as 10 at 21-11.
- Fisher hit 1.000 on four attacks in the set with a pair of digs.
- Set Score: Penn State 25, McKendree 17
- Match: Penn State leads 2-0
Third Set
- Penn State won the first three points and, just like the second set, never gave up its lead in the third.
- McKendree did pull within one at 11-10 and 13-12, but the Bearcats were marred by service errors in the set which killed any chance of a comeback.
- The Nittany Lions' maintained a three or four point lead before closing the set by six.
- Set Score: Penn State 25-19
- Match: Penn State wins 3-0
MIKE ANDERSON MAN OF THE MATCH
Henrik Falck Lauten
- Falck Lauten finished the match tied for the team lead with nine kills and hit .500 (9-2-14). He also had 3 digs, a pair of block assists, and a service ace.
- "What gave me the opportunity to perform well tonight was the team. As Coach Pavlik said, we followed the game plan. We got some digs, got some kills."
- "We're just constantly grinding and it's a lot of fun. We don't even look at the scoreboard anymore; we just go out there and play…It's the most fun I've had on the court."
HEAR IT FROM HIM
Head Coach Mark Pavlik
- "I really had hoped our depth wouldn't have been tested the third weekend into the season, but one of the goals this team had throughout the fall was to become a better team—to become better teammates. They wanted to become a group that celebrated the good things that happened within the group."
- "There doesn't seem to be any hesitation or any lack of confidence that they have in each other. I just think that's going to grow, and it's going to be a great asset for us as we proceed through the season."
GAME NOTES
- Jason Donorovich tied Falck Lauten for the team lead with nine kills, marking the third-straight game he has led the team in kills. He also hit .750 with no errors.
- Cal Fisher added eight kills and five digs in his second start at opposite hitter.
- Cole Bogner had 32 assists and Will Bantle had a team-high eight digs.
- Penn State had 36 kills to McKendree's 24 and outhit the Bearcats .286 to .083.
NEXT UP
- Penn State hosts Lindenwood tomorrow in Rec Hall's South Gym at 7 p.m.