UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Men's Volleyball swept the EIVA awards for the second-consecutive week. Michal Kowal was named the conference's Offensive player of the Week and Ryan Merk was selected as the Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
Kowal hit .375 while averaging 4.63 kills and 1.75 digs per set in road matches against No. 15 Ball State and Purdue Fort Wayne. He opened the road trip with 12 kills on .360 hitting in addition to one ace and seven digs in a 3-0 win over the Cardinals. He followed that with the best individual performance of his career, totaling a career-high 25 kills on .383 hitting while also recording three aces and seven digs in a five-set loss to the Mastodons.
Kowal picked up the second EIVA weekly award of his career, adding to the Defensive Player of the Week honor he won last season.
Merk averaged 3.25 digs/set in Penn State's two matches. He was solid in the sweep of Ball State, finishing with 11 kills while helping hold the Cardinals to .262 hitting. He then racked up a career-high 15 digs against Purdue Fort Wayne.
Merk earned EIVA Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career.
Five Penn State players have earned EIVA weekly awards this season, including John Kerr (Offensive), Michael Valenzi (Offensive) and Toby Ezeonu (Defensive).
No. 9 Penn State is back at Rec Hall this weekend as it hosts Fairleigh Dickinson for a non-conference match in South Gym on Saturday at 4 p.m.
