COLUMBUS, Ohio – The fourth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team opened the 2023 season with a 3-1 (25-15, 24-26, 25-19, 25-12) win over Central State on Friday night at Ohio State's Covelli Center. It was the first-ever meeting between the teams.
The Nittany Lions won their season opener for the third-straight year, adding to their victories over Ohio State in 2021 and BYU in 2022. Central State dropped to 0-2 on the season. The Marauders fell 3-0 to Ohio State on Thursday.
Sophomore Owen Rose came up big in his first collegiate appearance, hitting .786 with 11 kills and seven blocks while making the start at middle blocker. The strong debut was needed on a night where Penn State was without two-time EIVA Player of the Year Brett Wildman, two-time All-American Cal Fisher, and another All-EIVA Player in Sam Marsh.
In addition to Rose, the Lions were guided to the win by a couple of familiar faces in the lineup. Setter Cole Bogner recorded his third career double-double with 44 assists and 10 digs, and Michael Valenzi led the team with 13 kills.
Ryan Merk also had a solid debut for the Lions. The sophomore made the start at libero and led the team with 12 digs. Will Kuhns added seven digs to his seven kills, while Jack Shampine had six digs in addition to his six kills. John Kerr chipped in with six kills and three blocks. Michal Kowal had three aces.
Cameron Lee paced Central State with nine kills. Marcus Franck registered a double-double with 28 assists and 12 digs. Franck was the SIAC Setter of the Year last season while helping the Marauders win the conference title.
Set 1
Penn State overcame seven service errors to get the 25-15 win in the opening set. The Lions led by two, 12-10, before pulling away. They started to widen the gap with a 3-0 run that included a kill by Rose and an ace by Kowal. The Lions later used another 3-0 run to go up 23-13, fueled by a kill and block from Toby Ezeonu. Rose eventually closed the set with his second kill. Kerr had four kills in the opening set. The Lions held the Marauders to -.077 hitting.
Set 2
Central State took advantage of Penn State's .069 hitting to get the 26-24 win in the second set. The Lions led by as much as four at 10-6 following an ace by Kerr. The Marauders battled back to tie the set at 16-16 and took their first lead at 19-18. A kill by Rose stopped the Marauders' first chance at set point, but a Lions service error gave them a second chance and the Marauders took advantage of the opportunity. Rose was a perfect 3-for-3 on his attacks in the set.
Set 3
The third set was another close battle before Penn State turned it on late to get the 25-19 win. The Lions broke a 15-15 tie and closed the set with a 10-4 run. Shampine played a role in each of the final two points, recording a kill and a block alongside Rose. Shampine had six kills in the set, while Valenzi was right behind him with five. Bogner had 13 assists.
Set 4
Penn State hit .367 and rolled to a 25-12 win to clinch the match in set four. Rose and Kuhns had four kills apiece, while Valenzi tallied three kills on four swings. Bogner guided the offense with 13 assists, giving him 26 over the final two sets.
Career Highs
Gabe Hartke – aces (2), digs (2)
John Kerr – kills (6), aces (1), blocks (3)
Will Kuhns – kills (7), assists (1), aces (1), digs (7)
Ryan Merk – assists (2), digs (12)
Owen Rose – kills (11), blocks (7),
Jack Shampine – digs (6)
Up Next
No. 4 Penn State stays in Columbus to take on No. 13 Ohio State on Saturday at 4 p.m. The match will be played at the Covelli Center.
