HONOLULU, Hawaii – No. 3 Penn State men's volleyball wrapped up its trip to Honolulu with a 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-16) win over Purdue Fort Wayne to win the title at the Outrigger Invitational. The Nittany Lions, who upped their overall record to 17-2, finished 2-1 at the event, including a win over two-time defending national champion and current No. 1 in the nation Hawaii.
Cal Fisher and Michael Valenzi were dominant in the win for Penn State. Fisher hit .600 with 15 kills, three aces, and three blocks. Valenzi hit .500 with 10 kills, two aces and five digs. They led the charge as the Lions hit .507 as a team behind 33 assists from Cole Bogner.
Toby Ezeonu finished with five kills on .571 hitting, putting his season hitting percentage at nation-leading .500. Brett Wildman and Owen Rose were right behind him with four kills apiece. Ryan Merk had a team-high eight digs.
Merk and Michal Kowal represented Penn State on the All-Tournament team.
Carlos Mercado tallied six kills and five digs to lead the Mastodons, who dropped to 12-8 on the season. They received votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
Set 1
Fisher made it look easy from the start, totaling eight kills on .667 hitting to lead Penn State to a 25-15 win in the first set. Valenzi was perfect on the attack with four kills on four swings. Bogner set the two up for success with his 14 assists that led to the Lions hitting .609 as a team. The score was close early until Penn State used a 5-0 run to go up 16-10. Valenzi had a pair of kills during that stretch.
Set 2
The Lions held the Mastodons to .000 hitting while rolling to a 25-11 win in set two. Bogner and Merk led the defensive effort with three digs apiece, while Rose and Fisher each contributed two blocks.
Set 3
Fisher and Valenzi helped put an end to the match with four more kills each as Penn State finished the sweep with a 25-16 win in set three. Bogner contributed 12 more assists as the Lions hit .636.
Up Next
Penn State hosts Saint Francis on Saturday, March 18. The Red Flash are 5-10 after sweeping Fairleigh Dickinson in their most recent match.
