Muncie, Ind., Jan. 21, 2005 - In its fourth five-game match in as many contests, the seventh-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team outlasted No. 14 Ball State 28-30, 21-30, 30-25, 30-23, 25-23 to improve to 2-2 for the season.

The fifth-game score of 25-23 marks Penn State's highest deciding-game score since the inception of rally scoring for the 2001 season. The previous high was an 18-16 fifth-game victory over UC-Irvine on Feb. 21, 2004.

Junior middle hitter Nate Meerstein (Pittsburgh, Pa.) posted a career-high-tying 19 kills, the second time he has done so this season. Sophomore Alex Gutor (State College, Pa.) notched a career-high 18 kills while senior Keith Kowal (Reading, Pa.) and junior Matt Proper (Guys Mills, Pa.) both recorded 11 kills. Penn State hit .208 to Ball States .173.

Junior setter Dan O'Dell (Rochester, N.Y.) directed the Nittany Lion offense with 57 assists, his second-highest total of the season.

For the second time in his career, freshman libero Gary Vogel (Lancaster, Pa.) tied the Penn State rally-scoring-era record for digs in a match with 17. He previously set his career-high versus Brigham Young on Jan. 6, 2005 at the Hawaii Outrigger Invitational.

The Nittany Lions recorded 14.5 team blocks in the victory, led by Meerstein with a season-high-tying nine stuffs. O'Dell, Proper, Kowal and sophomore Aaron Smith (Richmond, Va.) all posted four blocks in the match.

Penn State recorded six service aces in the contest, led by Gutor and Kowal with two each and one from Meerstein and redshirt freshman Guillermo Fernandez (San Juan, Puerto Rico).

Ball State was led by Nick Meyer with 23 kills as Dave Carlson dished out 57 assists. Evan Berg led the Cardinals with 13 digs and Luis Castera and Andrew Braley both tallied seven blocks.

The Nittany Lions remain on the road, traveling to IPFW on Jan. 22. Penn State opens up the 2005 home slate on Jan. 28 versus EIVA foe Rutgers-Newark in the South Gym of Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions then host Ohio State on Saturday, Jan. 29 in a 7:00 p.m. contest that will be televised live on CSTV.

For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com.