UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 3 Penn State men's volleyball finished off a weekend sweep of EIVA foe Princeton with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-17) win Saturday at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions moved to 11-1 overall and 2-0 in the EIVA on the season, while the Tigers left Happy Valley at 4-8 overall and 0-2 in the conference.
Penn State's 11-1 start is its best record through 12 matches since also starting 11-1 during the 2012 season. The Lions went on to advance to the semifinal round of the NCAA Tournament that season.
The Lions hit .348 behind 29 assists from Cole Bogner. The setter had a solid all-around match, adding five blocks, two digs and one ace.
Bogner guided Penn State to a balanced offensive attack, which was led by Brett Wildman with seven kills. Michal Kowal, Toby Ezeonu, and Cal Fisher had six kills apiece.
Ezeonu and Fisher led the defensive effort. Ezeonu was in on nine of Penn State's 12 blocks, while Fisher paced the team in digs with eight. Ryan Merk contributed six digs.
Nyherowo Omene just missed a double-double for Princeton, finishing with 11 kills and nine digs.
Set 1
Penn State never trailed on its way to a 25-16 win in set one. The Lions went up 16-11 with a 3-0 run that included an ace by Fisher. They used another 3-0 run to go up 19-13. Wildman had a pair of kills during that stretch. Bogner had nine assists. Kowal, Wildman, and Fisher each registered three kills.
Set 2
Eight blocks fueled Penn State's 25-21 win in set two. Ezeonu was in on five of those blocks, while Bogner was right behind him with four. A triple block by Bogner, Ezeonu, and Kowal capped a 4-0 run that put the Lions up 13-9. The Lions led by just one late at 21-20 before going on a 3-0 run. Bogner and Ezeonu started it with a block, Kowal followed with an ace, and Ezeonu capped it with a kill. Following a Princeton point, Wildman closed the set with a kill.
Set 3
Penn State hit .438 in a 25-17 third-set win. Ezeonu fueled the effort with three kills on four swings for a .750 hitting percentage. A 5-0 run helped the Lions distance themselves midway through the set. An ace by Owen Rose and a triple block by Kowal, Ezeonu, and Fisher capped the run. A kill by Will Kuhns gave Penn State a chance at set point, and an attack error by Princeton completed the match.
Career Highs
Cole Bogner – blocks (5)
Toby Ezeonu – blocks (9)
Owen Rose – assists (3)
Up Next
Penn State goes on the road for two EIVA matches against NJIT on Feb. 24-25. The Highlanders are 5-6 overall following a 3-0 loss to No. 4 Long Beach State on Friday.
