UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The fourth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team gears up for a battle of the EIVA unbeatens with I-99 neighbor rival Saint Francis in a Saturday night showdown at Rec Hall.
Both teams enter the weekend matchup with four wins in conference, all against Princeton, George Mason, Harvard, and Sacred Heart, to go with no losses.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Dates: Saturday, Feb. 18
Place: Rec Hall Main Gym
Times: 7 p.m.
Stats: Matches 1 & 2
Stream ($): B1G+
Game Notes: Penn State Game Notes
Admission: FREE for all home regular season matches!
PARKING INFORMATION
All Penn State Athletics non-football events will require a valid permit or payment of the applicable parking fee for campus lots. Complimentary parking will no longer be issued for season ticket holders.
Fans with valid Penn State University Park parking permits will be permitted to park at non-football athletics events for free, following Transportation Services parking policies and access.
Fans without a permit are encouraged to prepay for event parking at a discounted rate through ParkMobile - https://psu.parkmobile.io/. Prepayment is available through 11:59 p.m. the day prior to each event. Season packages will be available for general parking for most sports, and information on VIP parking options available for select events will be released later.
Please visit the 2022 Men's Volleyball Parking page for additional information.
Non-football event parking is managed by Penn State Transportation Services. For more information on parking for this event, please email parking@psu.edu or call 814-865-1436.
MATCH NOTES AND INFO
- Penn State maintained its No. 4 ranking in both the AVCA coaches poll and Off the Block media poll this week. The Nittany Lions are the only team to knock off No. 1 Long Beach this season.
- The Nittany Lions have started off their EIVA schedule with a perfect set score, winning 12-of-12 sets played. PSU downed Harvard and Sacred Heart in straight sets last weekend on the road.
- Senior opposite Cal Fisher continues to dominate at the right pin for the Nittany Lions, leading the team with 150 kills, including nine matches of double-digit kills. He also has 23 aces this season, including three during a 9-0 scoring run to begin last Saturday's match at SHU. He finished with five in the match.
- Senior outside hitter Brett Wildman has been excellent on the left pin and from the back row with 139 kills at a .335 clip. During Penn State's five match win streak, he is averaging 13.2 kills per match. He is also second on the team with 14 service aces.
- Sophomore middle blocker Toby Ezeonu has emerged as a physical force at the net for Penn State. He's third on the team with 72 kills and hitting a team-best .467. Standing 6-7 with a 7-2 wingspan, Ezeonu had a special night at Long Beach Jan. 29. with 16 kills on 17 swings without an error to hit .941. That is the most kills without an error by a PSU middle blocker in the 25-point rally scoring era (since 2011). He had five kills and two of his five blocks in the fifth-and-deciding game.
- Senior setter Cole Bogner was named an Off The Block January All-American for his performance to begin the season for the Nittany Lions. His 414 assists are 3rd most in the country and his 10.32 assists per set ranks 5th nationwide.
- Head coach Mark Pavlik became the fifth coach in men's volleyball history to reach 600 career wins March 27, 2021 vs. SHU. His 611 wins are the most among active DI-II men's coaches.
- Penn State nationally: 73 total aces (4th), 1.83 aces per set (7th), 499 kills (9th), .317 H% (9th), 333 digs (15th). Cal Fisher ranks T3rd with 23 aces, 8th in the country with 4.63 points per set and 11th in kills per set (3.75). Cole Bogner ranks 5th with 10.32 assists per set.
- PSU is 49-3 all-time against the Red Flash with an active nine-match win streak. Penn State defeated SFU in all three 2021 matches, including 3-0 sweep in the EIVA tournament semifinals.