Calvin Mende Season 2020

CAREER NOTES & RECORDS
Career: Completed career hitting .297, ranked 16th among active NCAA student-athletes...Recorded 769 kills and finished 21st among active NCAA student-athletes with 2.97 kills per set...Was the 14th Nittany Lion to play for the USA Volleyball Junior National Team in 2017.

2020 • REDSHIRT SENIOR SEASON
Awards: Chosen EIVA Defensive Player of the Week (1/27)...Earned Academic All-Big Ten team and EIVA All-Academic team honors for the fourth-straight year. 

Season: Named team co-captain (Jason Donorovich)...Played in 12 matches with nine starts...Dominated nonconference play with all 98 of kills against non-EIVA opponents (10 matches)...Started eight of first nine matches and had at least eight kills in each...Had 48 kills in three-match span (1/18-1/26)...Posted 53 digs and 17 blocks for year...Season shortened and no championship held due to COVID-19 pandemic.

at No. 11 Loyola-Chicago (1/17): Hit .391 with 10 kills and seven digs in three-set sweep. at No. 5 Lewis (1/18): One of three Nittany Lions with double-digit kills (16) in reverse sweep victory (Bobby Wilden & Brett Wildman)...Aced three-straight serves early in third set to swing momentum to Penn State after trailing 2-0. No. 6 UCLA (1/24): Dominated three-set win with 15 kills at .591 clip (15-2-22)...Also had five digs and two aces. USC (1/26): Had another strong all-around match with 17 kills hitting .452 (17-3-31)...Added seven digs and six blocks in five-set win to earn EIVA Defensive Player of the Week honors. vs. No. 4 Long Beach (2/7): Posted first career double-double with 10 kills and career-best 13 digs.

2019 • REDSHIRT JUNIOR SEASON
Awards: Recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholar…Named to EIVA All-Academic Team…Named to Academic All-Big Ten Team.

Season: Played in 18 matches with 56 sets played…Racked up 113 total kills, good for fifth on the team…Ranked fourth on team with 2.02 kills per set…Hit .286 with 25 blocks and nine service aces…Started his first eight matches played.

at No. 8 Ohio State (1/5): Set personal season high with 18 kills and a .351 hitting percentage…Added five digs and two blocks. at George Mason (2/22): Returned to lineup after missing previous nine matches with injury and led Nittany Lions with 12 kills. at Harvard (3/29): Provided big boost off the bench with 14 kills at a .565 clip and added  two aces.

2018 • REDSHIRT SOPHOMORE SEASON
Awards: Chosen Volleyball Magazine All-America honorable mention…Named to All-EIVA first team… Honored as a member of All-EIVA Academic Team…Recognized as Big Ten Distinguished Scholar…Named to Academic All-Big Ten Team.

Season: Played in 19 matches with 18 starts and 70 sets played…Ranked second on team with 233 kills…Led squad with 3.33 kills per set and 3.8 points per set…Posted a .314 hitting percentage with 48 blocks and 61 digs…Tallied at least five kills in all 19 matches played…Had double-digit kills in final nine starts (3/3-4/19).

Rankings: Ranked fourth in EIVA with a .314 hitting percentage…Placed fifth in conference with 3.33 kills per set.

Mount Olive (1/12): Set season high with a .667 hitting percentage with 15 kills. Sacred Heart (2/16): Returned to lineup after missing four matches with 14 kills and nine digs in a four-set win. vs. No. 4 BYU (3/8): Posted 18 kills at a .333 clip…Set season high with five blocks. at Sacred Heart (3/30): Reached 20 kills and tied season best with five blocks. vs. Harvard (4/19): Set season high with 28 kills and 53 attacks in EIVA semifinals.

2017 • REDSHIRT FRESHMAN SEASON
Awards: Named AVCA All-America Honorable Mention…Recognized as a Volleyball Magazine All-America Honorable Mention…Selected to All-EIVA First Team…Selected EIVA Offensive Player of the Week twice (2/13 and 4/17)… Honored on All-EIVA Academic Team…Named to Academic All-Big Ten Team.

Season: Became 14th Nittany Lion to play for USA Volleyball Junior National Team...Played and started in 28 matches…Led Penn State with 325 kills while hitting at a .294 clip…Ranked fourth on the team with 48 blocks and sixth with 116 digs…Had double-digit kills in 15 matches, including three matches with over 20 kills…Notched at least a dig in all 28 matches played. 

Rankings: Ranked fourth in the EIVA with 325 kills, .294 hitting percentage and 381.0 points. 

vs. No. 2 UCLA (1/6): Started in collegiate debut. vs. USC (1/7): Erupted for 25 kills at a .525 clip in a five-set win. Coker (1/28): Began stretch of four-straight double-digit kill games with 12 in a four-set win…Set a season high with nine digs. at Princeton (2/11): Led a comeback from down 2-0 with 29 kills on 41 attacks in a five-set win to earn EIVA Offensive Player of the Week…Had only two errors to hit .659, a season-best mark, along with six blocks. George Mason (4/15): Helped clinch the EIVA regular-season title with 24 kills and a .543 hitting percentage...Honored as EIVA Offensive Player of the Week. 

2016 • FRESHMAN SEASON
Season: Utilized redshirt.

BEFORE PENN STATE
Named team captain and MVP senior year at Redlands High School…Chosen an All-CIF first team performer senior year…Chosen Citrus Belt League MVP senior year and earned Citrus Belt League All-Conference accolades three times 2013-15…Garnered San Bernardino Sun All-County tirst team twice 2014-15…Played water polo and was named 2014 Inland Empire Player of the Year…Awarded CBAADA Athlete of the Year honors senior year…Included on 2015 Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 Players to Watch list.

PERSONAL 
Full Name is Calvin Douglas Mende…Parents are Crystal and Doug Mende…Has two sisters, Beth and Katie…Was a Schreyer Honors College scholar and  graduated May 2020 with a degree in security and risk analysis…Born February 2, 1997, in Redlands, Calif.