CAMRBIDGE, Mass. – Graduate outside hitter Will Kuhns hit .321 with a career-high 16 kills to lead No. 17 Penn State Men’s Volleyball to its first win of the season with a 3-0 (25-21, 26-24, 25-21) triumph over EIVA foe Harvard on Saturday at the Malkin Athletic Center.
The Nittany Lions improved to 1-7 overall and 1-1 in the conference, while the Crimson dropped to 3-5, 1-1.
Kuhns recorded double-digit kills for the sixth time in eight matches to start the season. He had double-digit kills in the second set alone with 10. His 88 kills are already his most in a single season. In addition to leading Penn State in kills against the Crimson, Kuhns tallied a team-high six digs.
Sophomore setter Michael Schwob, who finished with 30 assists, two blocks and one ace, guided a balanced attack as four Nittany Lions had at least five kills. Matt Cosgrove totaled six kills, while Matthew Luoma and Gaige Gabriel contributed five apiece.
Owen Rose was a beast in the middle for Penn State as his eight blocks helped hold Harvard to .233 hitting. Luoma was in on four blocks, while Cosgrove was right behind him with three.
Sawyer Nichols was Harvard’s top offensive player for the second-straight night as he hit .333 with 12 kills. Owen Woolbert tallied eight kills on .500 hitting.
Set 1
Kuhns tallied four kills and Rose was in on three blocks to lead Penn State to a 25-21 win in the first set. The Nittany Lions went on a 5-0 run to take a 6-2 advantage early and led the rest of the way. Luoma, Cosgrove, and Rose all had kills during the run, while Gabriel served up an ace. The largest lead was six at 21-15 following a solo block by Gabriel, at 22-16 after a kill by Kuhns, and again at 23-17 after a kill by Gabriel. Set point was scored on a kill by Kuhns.
Set 2
Penn State showed grit in the second set, coming back from a seven-point deficit on its way to a 26-24 win. The Nittany Lions struggled early, falling behind 3-0 and then eventually 12-5. They chipped away at the deficit but still trailed by three at 23-20. Head coach Mark Pavlik called a timeout, and Penn State responded with a 4-0 run that included a pair of kills by Kuhns and one by Rose. Harvard then called timeout and bounced back with a point of its own to tie the score at 24-all. The Nittany Lions regained the lead on another Kuhns kill and then secured the set win with a solo block by Gabriel. Kuhns was outstanding in the set, hitting .375 with 10 kills.
Set 3
Penn State started strong in the third set with a 9-2 lead and then had to hold off Harvard’s comeback attempt in a 25-21 win. The Crimson wasted little time in their comeback, tying the score at 11-all. They tied the score at 12-12 and again at 13-13 but were never able to take the lead. It was still close at 19-18 before the Nittany Lions scored six of the final nine points to clinch the sweep. A triple block by Luoma, Rose, and Cosgrove secured the final point.
Career Highs
Matt Cosgrove – blocks (3)
Gaige Gabriel – aces (2)
Will Kuhns – kills (16)
Matthew Luoma – blocks (4)
Up Next
Penn State travels to play Saint Francis on Friday at 7 p.m. The teams then play at Rec Hall on Saturday at 4 p.m.