UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 3 Penn State men's volleyball looks to stay atop the EIVA standings as it plays a pair of conference matches at George Mason this weekend. The teams square off at the Recreation Athletic Complex on Friday at 7 p.m. and on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Penn State enters the match at 20-3 overall and a perfect 6-0 in the EIVA. George Mason is 10-12 overall and 2-4 in the conference.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
#3 Penn State (20-3, 6-0 EIVA) at George Mason (10-12, 2-4 EIVA)
Match One
Date: Friday, April 7
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Fairfax, Va.
Watch: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
Match Two
Date: Saturday, April 8
Time: 5 p.m.
Place: Fairfax, Va.
Watch: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
SERIES HISTORY
- Penn State is 114-18 in the all-time series with George Mason. The teams first played in 1977.
- The Lions have won three straight matches in the series, winning both matches with a sweep last season and a 3-1 victory in 2021.
- Brett Wildman has found success against the Patriots during his career. He has totaled 138 kills (3.83/set), 53 digs (1.47/set) and 17 aces over 10 matches.
- Penn State is 36-11 when playing on the road against George Mason.
SCOUTING GEORGE MASON
- George Mason is 10-12 overall and 2-4 in the EIVA following a 3-0 win over Princeton in its most recent match. The win snapped a three-match losing streak.
- The Patriots' other EIVA win came by a 3-0 score over Charleston (WV).
- Omar Hoyos, a 6-6 outside hitter, ranks first in the EIVA in attacks/set (8.01/set), second in kills/set (3.50) and second in points/set (4.14).
PENN STATE NOTES & STATS
- Penn State remained at No. 3 in the most recent AVCA Coaches Poll. The Lions have been ranked in the top three for nine consecutive weeks.
- The Lions have won 24 straight EIVA regular season matches. The streak includes six matches this season, all 16 last season, and the final two of the 2021 season. The last EIVA regular season loss came at George Mason on April 3, 2021.
- Two Penn State players have a chance to reach career milestones by the end of their final season. Cole Bogner is 154 assists away from reaching 4,000 for his career, while Cal Fisher needs 54 kills to reach 1,000. At minimum, the Lions have four regular season matches and one EIVA Tournament match remaining. Brett Wildman already eclipsed the 1,000-kill milestone earlier this season.
- The Lions rank first in the EIVA and 10th nationally in assists/set (11.64). Bogner leads the way, ranking first in the conference and sixth nationally at 10.21 assists/set.
- Penn State could clinch the EIVA regular season title and hosting rights for the conference tournament with a pair of wins over George Mason this weekend in addition to Princeton beating Charleston (WV) twice.
- After a pair of wins over Harvard last weekend, Penn State reached 20 victories for the third consecutive season. The Lions have reached 20 wins in 24 of Mark Pavlik's 29 seasons as head coach.
UP NEXT
- Penn State closes the regular season at home with matches against Charleston (WV) on April 14-15. The Eagles are 22-2 overall and 5-1 in the EIVA.
For more information on Penn State men's volleyball, follow the Nittany Lions on Twitter @PennStateMVBALL and Instagram @pennstatemvball and "like" the Penn State men's volleyball page on Facebook.