FAIRFAX, Va. – Another memorable Penn State men's volleyball season came to a close Thursday with a 3-2 (25-20, 25-23, 16-25, 23-25, 15-10) loss to second-seeded Hawaii in the semifinal round of the National Collegiate Championship.
Penn State wrapped up the 2023 campaign with a record of 27-4. The Nittany Lions were ranked in the top four of the AVCA Coaches Poll all season, including one week in the top spot.
Hawaii improved to 29-2 and will play UCLA in the championship match on Saturday. The Rainbow Warriors are the two-time defending national champions.
Penn State's three senior captains left it all on the floor in their final collegiate match. Brett Wildman hit .353 with 15 kills and had seven aces to set the record for a match in the semifinal round of the national tournament. Cal Fisher finished with 14 kills, seven digs, and two aces. Cole Bogner tallied 42 assists and five digs.
The Lions also received solid contributions from Ryan Merk (9 digs), Michal Kowal (11 kills, 8 digs), and Toby Ezeonu (6 kills, 3 aces, 3 blocks).
The Lions came back from down 2-0 to force a fifth set. but in the end couldn't overcome a 25-kill night by Hawaii's Dimitrios Mouchlias.
Set 1
Mouchlias was strong out of the gate with five kills on .571 hitting to lead Hawaii to a 25-20 win in the opening set. Wildman had two aces during a 4-0 run that put Penn State up 13-9. The Lions still led 17-16 after a Hawaii service error, but the Warriors then pulled away with a 7-0 run.
Set 2
It was Mouchlias carrying Hawaii again in the second set with seven kills on .455 hitting but the set was much closer as the Warriors pulled out a 25-23 win. Penn State pulled within one late at 23-22 following a Wildman kill and a Hawaii attack error. The Lions then got within one again at 24-23 before the Warriors clinched the set on a Penn State service error.
Set 3
Penn State was clearly a team that wasn't ready for its season to end as it rolled to a 25-16 win with its back against the wall in the third set. The Lions had just eight kills, including two apiece from Kowal, Wildman, and Fisher, but added five points on aces and two on blocks. Wildman had three aces in the set, while Ezeonu added two. Hawaii was held to .071 hitting. One of Ezeonu's aces came during a 4-0 run that put the Lions up 19-12. Owen Rose had the final point of the set with a kill.
Set 4
The true grit of Penn State was shown in set four as it pulled out a 25-23 win while facing elimination. The Lions found themselves down 9-4 but wasted little time in erasing the deficit. They battled back to take a 14-11 lead on a 6-0 run that was capped by a Fisher ace. They kept the lead until Hawaii retook the lead at 21-20. Following a timeout by head coach Mark Pavlik, Penn State tied it up at 21-21 with a triple block by Wildman, Fisher, and Ezeonu. After Hawaii scored the next point, the Lions went on a 3-0 run that included a pair of kills by Fisher. The first chance at set point resulted in a service error. The second chance was successful with a kill by Fisher.
Set 5
The serve/pass matchup went Penn State's way most of the match, but it turned in the fifth set as Hawaii cruised to a 15-10 win that included two aces and other serves that put the Lions in bad position. The teams traded the first two points before the Warriors scored the next three to go up 4-1. The Lions didn't get closer the rest of the way.
