UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – John Kerr had a night to remember while leading No. 6 Penn State Men's Volleyball to a 3-2 (25-18, 22-25, 29-27, 29-31, 15-13) win over No. 16 Lewis on Saturday at Rec Hall. He went off for a career-high 31 kills on .417 hitting while adding career highs in digs (9) and aces (4) as the Nittany Lions improved to 2-0 on the season.
Kerr had just five kills after the first two sets. He had the hot hand in the third and fourth sets, and freshman setter Michael Schwob let him cook. He racked up 11 kills on .529 hitting in a 29-27 win in the third set before adding a ridiculous 14 kills on .591 hitting in a close 31-29 loss in the fourth.
Kerr's 31 kills were the most by a Penn State player since Aaron Russell totaled 32 in a five-set match at Ball State on Jan. 16, 2015.
Penn State never trailed in the deciding fifth set, but it was close the entire way. The Nittany Lions broke an 11-11 tie with a kill by Toby Ezeonu. He then combined with Schwob on a block to make it 13-11, added another kill to make it 14-12, and tacked on yet another kill to finish the match with a 15-13 win.
"Hats off to Lewis. They're in a similar situation as us trying to figure out how to get better than they were last year with so many new players on the court," Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik said. "It wasn't a clean match by any stretch of the imagination, but it was one where some grittiness was needed and some discipline at the right times was needed. With this group showing us that, it was a good step for us today."
Ezeonu hit .414 with 15 kills and six blocks. Michal Kowal hit .333 with 11 kills and seven digs, while Owen Rose contributed seven kills on .500 hitting and added three blocks. Penn State hit .343 as a team behind 59 assists from Schwob, who also had six digs and three blocks. Defensively, libero Ryan Merk led the way with a career-high 14 digs.
Lewis, which dropped to 1-1 on the season, was led by Max Roquet with 14 kills. Christian Prayer and Daniel Haber chipped in with 11 and 10 kills, respectively. The Flyers had been a tough opponent for the Nittany Lions in the series as of late with wins in five of the previous six matchups.
Set 1
Kowal had four kills and Kerr tallied three to lead Penn State to a 25-18 win in the opening set. The Nittany Lions pulled away with a 4-0 run that put them up 18-13. Kowal had a kill and a solo block during the run, while Michael Valenzi had one kill. It was still a three-point lead at 21-18 before Penn State scored the final four points. Kills by Kerr and Will Kuhns gave the Nittany Lions a chance at set point, which they converted on an ace by Kerr.
Set 2
Lewis held Penn State to .111 hitting while winning 25-22 in the second set. The Flyers hit .370 as a team, led by Roquet with four kills on four swings and Haber with five kills on .625 hitting. They took the lead for good after going up 6-5 on a kill by Prayer and went on to lead by as much as six. Penn State battled back late, getting to within one at 22-21 after a kill by Kuhns. The deficit was again one at 23-22 following a kill by Kerr, but Lewis responded with the final two points.
Set 3
Kerr took over in the third set with his 11 kills on .529 hitting as Penn State won a close battle 29-27. Neither team led by more than two points at any point in the set. Lewis had its lone chance at set point while leading 25-24, but Penn State denied it with a kill by Kerr. The Nittany Lions needed four chances at set point, finally converting with an ace by Kerr.
Set 4
The teams played more extra volleyball in the fourth set, but it was Lewis coming out on top this time with a 31-29 win. The Nittany Lions started fast, jumping out to an 11-5 lead after a kill by Kowal. Lewis didn't take long to come back. The Flyers tied it at 14-14 and eventually led 17-15. The teams battled back and forth from there. Penn State had four chances at set point. Lewis had a chance at set point at 25-24 and then not again until 30-29. The Flyers converted on that second chance thanks to a kill by Roquet.
Set 5
Ezeonu dominated the fifth set with six kills on .750 hitting to lead Penn State to a 15-13 win. The teams switched sides with Penn State leading 8-5 after a Lewis service error. The Flyers battled back to tie it at 11-11. Ezeonu was a part of all four of the Nittany Lions' final four points, starting with a kill that was followed by a block alongside Schwob to make it 13-11. He had a kill to make it 14-12 and finished the match with his 15th kill of the night.
Career Highs
John Kerr – kills (31), aces (4), digs (9)
Michal Kowal – solo blocks (2)
Ryan Merk – digs (14)
Michael Schwob – assists (59), digs (6), blocks (3)
Up Next
Penn State hosts Lees-McRae on Thursday at 7 p.m.
