UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Five Penn State men’s volleyball players earned All-EIVA recognition, as announced by the conference on Tuesday. Ryan Merk and Will Kuhns represented the Nittany Lions on the first team, Owen Rose made the second team, and Gaige Gabriel and Matthew Luoma were named honorable mentions.
Merk, a redshirt junior, was the only libero listed on the first team, earning the top honor for the third-straight season. His regular season honors included three EIVA Defensive Player of the Week awards and a spot on the Outrigger Invitational All-Tournament Team. In addition to being one of the nation’s top passers, Merk ranked third in the conference in digs. He had seven matches with double-digit digs, including three of the final four to close the regular season.
Kuhns picked up a first team honor in his first season as a full-time starter. The graduate outside hitter was the go-to offensive player for Penn State this season and currently ranks fourth in the conference in aces/set (0.38), kills/set (3.18), and points/set (.379). He earned a pair of awards from the EIVA during the regular season as he was named the Offensive Player of the Week once and the Defensive Player of the Week once.
Rose is now a three-time All-EIVA honoree as he adds the second team award to his two first-team honors as a freshman and sophomore. Now in his redshirt junior season, the middle blocker ranks second in the conference in blocks/set (1.02). He tallied five or more blocks in a match eight times this season, including a season-high eight in a 3-0 win at Harvard and again in a four-set match against Charleston. He was also an efficient offensive option, hitting .363 while averaging 1.32 kills/set.
Gabriel, a freshman middle blocker, and Luoma, a redshirt sophomore hitter, each earned All-EIVA status for the first time. Gabriel, who was one of just two freshman middle blockers on the list, averaged 0.90 blocks/set and 1.37 kills/set while hitting .321 during the regular season. Luoma ranked second on the team in kills/set (3.00) while recording double-digit kills 10 times.
Penn State, the three seed in the EIVA Tournament, plays sixth-seeded Harvard in the first round Wednesday at Princeton’s Dillon Gymnasium. The match is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.