UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's volleyball team will go into the 2023 season as the favorite in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA). The conference released the results of its preseason poll on Tuesday, and the Lions received five of a possible six first-place votes to take the top spot.
In addition to the preseason poll, the conference announced the Players to Watch for each team. Toby Ezeonu and Cal Fisher represented Penn State on that list.
NJIT picked up the other first-place vote and came in at second in the poll. Rounding out the final four spots were Princeton, Charleston (W.Va.), Harvard, and George Mason.
Penn State won each of the past two EIVA regular season championships. The Lions went 16-2 on their way to the title in 2021 and were a perfect 16-0 in conference play last season. They haven't lost an EIVA regular-season matchup since a 3-2 defeat to George Mason on April 3, 2021.
Ezeonu had a breakout season as a sophomore last year, earning AVCA honorable-mention All-America status in addition to a first-team All-EIVA award. The middle blocker led the nation with a .528 hitting percentage, while finishing third on the team with 193 kills. He led the Lions with 77 blocks.
Fisher is a two-time AVCA second-team All-American and a three-time All-EIVA selection. The opposite hitter enters his final season with 776 career kills on .315 hitting, 444 digs, and 142 aces. He ranks third all-time at Penn State in career aces, trailing only Olympians Aaron Russell and Max Holt.
Joining Ezeonu and Fisher as returning All-EIVA honorees for Penn State are setter Cole Bogner (first team), middle blocker Sam Marsh (honorable mention), outside hitter Michael Valenzi (honorable mention), and outside hitter Brett Wildman (first team). Wildman was the EIVA Player of the Year for the second time.
Penn State opens the season in Columbus with matches against Central State and Ohio State on Jan. 6-7. The Lions host Daemen for their home opener in Rec Hall South Gym on Jan. 13.
