CHARLESTON, W.V. – The Penn State men's volleyball team completed its two-match weekend with a 3-0 sweep at Charleston Sunday afternoon to improve to 4-1 in EIVA play this season.
The Nittany Lions also moved back to .500 at 7-7 overall with the win. Charleston drop to 4-11 overall and 0-6 in the EIVA.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set
- Penn State took its first lead of the set at 6-5 after a Calvin Mende ace followed by a Charleston error.
- Charleston was able to tie the score again at 11-11 on a service ace and brought the score back to a close as one at 14-13, but Penn State took off from there by winning five-straight points. Mende had a kill, Jason Donorovich and Luke Braswell teamed up for a pair of blocks, and Henry Payne had a service ace during the run.
- The Nittany Lions were given their final three points of the set thanks to two service errors and another attacking error by the Golden Eagles.
- Set Score: Penn State 25-19
- Match Score: Penn State 1-0
Second Set
- Charleston took an early lead at 8-5 before Penn State bounced back with five of the next six points, capped by a Canyon Tuman and Henrik Falck Lauten block to give Penn State its first lead 10-9.
- Tuman registered the next three kills by Penn State and kept Penn State deadlocked with the Golden Eagles.
- Both teams exchanged 12-straight sideout points late in the frame with Penn State coming out of the exchange with the first set point at 24-23.
- Donorovich closed the set with a service ace to win the frame.
- Set Score: Penn State 26-24
- Match Score: Penn State 2-0
Third Set
- Tuman continued his dominant play in the third with block assists by Cal Fisher and Mende to give Penn State an early three-point edge at 6-3.
- After a Charleston ace tied the score 9-9, Penn State went on a four-point spurt with thanks to a kill by Mende, an ace by Donorovich, and another block from Tuman and Falck Lauten.
- Falck Lauten added another service ace to put Penn State ahead 18-12.
- The closest Charleston got late in the set was within four points at 18-14.
- Luke Braswell set up Donorovich for a big swing to get the Nittany Lions to set point at 24-16 before Braswell finished the game himself with his first kill of the afternoon.
- Set Score: Penn State 25-16
- Match Score: Penn State wins 3-0
STAT STANDOUTS
- Canyon Tuman set a new season high with nine kills without committing an error for a 1.000 hitting percentage. His nine kills without an error are the most by a Nittany Lion in a match this season.
- Tuman also led the Nittany Lions with six block assists, followed by Luke Braswell and Jason Donorovich who had four block assists each.
- Donorovich and Calvin Mende followed up right behind Tuman offensively with eight kills apiece.
- Braswell had 30 assists, marking the third time this season he's eclipsed 30 helpers in a match.
GAME NOTES
- Penn State's 13.0 blocks as a team was its highest total in a three-set match this season and its second-highest total overall (13.5 vs. BYU 1/18).
- The Nittany Lions also had seven aces for the match, marking the fourth time this season they've had seven or more in a match.
- Penn State outhit Charleston .286 (34-14-70) to .120 (27-18-75). PSU is now 7-0 this season when outhitting its opponent.
- The Nittany Lions are now 7-1 when winning the first set and 6-0 when leading 2-0 in a match. In addition, three of Penn State's four conference wins have come in straight sets.
NEXT UP
- The Nittany Lions host Princeton and NJIT at Rec Hall next weekend March 1-2.