UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State is back at Rec Hall but will play in South Gym for the first time this season when it hosts Sacred Heart for a pair of EIVA men's volleyball matches on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, April 4 – 7 p.m.
Sacred Heart (6-13, 0-8 EIVA) at Penn State (6-14, 3-3 EIVA) | Live Stats | Watch
Saturday, April 5 – 3 p.m.
Sacred Heart (6-13, 0-8 EIVA) at Penn State (6-13, 3-3 EIVA) | Live Stats | Watch
OPENING NOTES
• The road to this year’s regular season title will be unpredicatable and may go down to the last week as five of the seven teams are within one two losses of each other with six matches to play. Princeton currently leads the way at 5-1, George Mason is second at 4-2, Charleston and Harvard are next at 5-3, and Penn State is within striking distance at 3-3.
• The Nittany Lions have won each of the past four EIVA regular season titles. Princeton was the last team other than Penn State to do so and earned hosting rights for the conference tournament in 2019.
• Penn State is set to play at Rec Hall for just the fifth and sixth times this season. The Nittany Lions have played matches in Illinois, Texas, Ohio, Massachussetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Arizona, and Hawaii. They have played just four matches in the main gym of Rec Hall compared to three at Hawaii’s Stan Sheriff Center and two at Ohio State’s Covelli Center and the Austin Convention Center in Texas.
LAST TIME OUT
• Penn State split its two matches with Charleston at Rec Hall last weekend, sweeping the first night before falling 3-1 the following day.
• Will Kuhns hit .321 while averaging 4.00 kills/set, 0.71 digs/set, and 0.71 blocks/set over the two matches. Michael Schwob guided the attack to .335 hitting while averaging 11.71 assists/set, 1.43 digs/set, and 1.14 blocks/set.
SERIES HISTORY
• Penn State and Sacred Heart will meet for the 26th and 27th time. The teams first played in 2004.
• The Nittany Lions lead 23-2 in the all-time series, including a 12-1 record at home.
• Penn State and Sacred Heart last played in 2022 when the Nittany Lions won both matches, one at home and one on the road, by 3-0 scores.
• No current Penn State player has ever appeared in a match against the Pioneers.
SCOUTING SACRED HEART
• Sacred Heart is 6-13 overall and 0-8 in the EIVA following a pair of home losses to Princeton last week.
• The Pioneers were picked sixth in the 2025 EIVA Preseason Coaches Poll. Graduate setter Austin Buchanan and graduate middle blocker Ken Naples were named Players to Watch.
• Sophomore outside hitter Aleksa Mandic ranks second in the EIVA in aces/set (0.44).
CAREER HIGHS SET LAST WEEKEND
vs. Charleston (4/29)
• Sean Harvey - kills (13), aces (2)
• Matthew Luoma - digs (8)
STREAKS TO WATCH
Matthew Luoma
• 3 straight matches with double-digit kills
Ryan Merk
• 81 straight starts at libero
• 6 straight matches with at least five digs
Michael Schwob
• 3 straight matches with at least one ace
Will Kuhns
• 3 straight matches with at least one ace
UP NEXT
• Penn State goes on the road for a pair of EIVA matches at George Mason on April 11-12.
• The Patriots are 13-8 overall and 4-2 in the conference following a split with Harvard in their most recent series.