April 25, 2012

Notes

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The eighth-ranked Penn State men's volleyball team (21-5) is once again serving as the host of the EIVA Championship on Thursday, April 26 and Saturday, April 28. The top-seeded Nittany Lions are set to take on No. 4 seed Princeton at 8 p.m. in the EIVA Semifinals. No. 2 seed Harvard faces third-seeded George Mason in the earlier match at 5:30 p.m. The winners of each of the EIVA Semifinals will meet in the EIVA Championship match on Saturday, April 28 at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall.

Tickets are on sale for the EIVA Championship. Tickets for the EIVA Championship are $8 for adults and $5 for youth. Students with a valid ID from a participating school are free. For groups of 15 or more tickets are $4 if purchased in advance and $5 at the door. To purchase via phone, please call 1-800-NITTANY or visit the Bryce Jordan Center Ticket Office during normal business hours.

All three matches will be streamed live on GoPSUsports.com through Penn State All-Access. Live stats will also be available for each match at GoPSUsports.com.

Nittany Lion Preview
Penn State heads into the postseason with a 21-5 overall record. The Nittany Lions finished the regular season with a perfect 14-0 record in EIVA play. They are currently ranked eighth in the nation.

In Penn State's final regular season match against Saint Francis, redshirt senior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) averaged 4.00 kills per set, while redshirt senior Edgardo Goas (San Juan, Puerto Rico) dished out 9.33 assists per set. Goas also tied for first on the team with 1.00 aces per set and was second among the Nittany Lions with 2.67 digs per set. Redshirt freshman Connor Curry (Newport Beach, Calif.) recorded 3.33 digs per set, while both junior Ian Hendries (Cardiff, Calif.) and Sunder posted 1.00 blocks per set.

For the weekend Penn State hit .283 and averaged 14.33 kills per set, 13.67 assists per set, 3.33 aces per set, 12.33 digs per set and 2.17 blocks per set.

Penn State vs. Princeton
The Nittany Lions own a 45-2 all-time record against Princeton. The Nittany Lions have won 54 consecutive sets on their home floor against the Tigers dating back to 1998. Penn State's last EIVA Championship loss came at the hands of Princeton in a three set match on April 16, 1998. So far this season, Penn State has defeated Princeton both at home, 3-0, on Feb. 24 and on the road, 3-2, on March 30.

Scouting the Tigers
Princeton is 13-9 overall and finished regular season EIVA play at 7-7. The Tigers defeated George Mason on April 21, 3-2, to earn the No. 4 seed in the EIVA Championship. The Tigers have won six straight matches dating back to April 6, including two against EIVA opponents to earn a bid to EIVA Semifinals.

Penn State vs. Potential EIVA Championship Opponents
Harvard
The Nittany Lions are 5-0 all-time against the Crimson, including two victories in 2012. Penn State swept Harvard on Feb. 17 on the road before narrowly escaping the Crimson at home in Rec Hall, 3-2, on April 7. Harvard earned the No. 2 seed this season after going 10-4 in EIVA play.

George Mason
Penn State leads the series with George Mason, 89-14. George Mason finished EIVA play with an 8-6 record and is the No. 3 seed in the tournament. Penn State and George Mason faced each other earlier this season on Feb. 25 with the Nittany Lions earning a 3-0 victory. In a season meeting on March 31 at the home of the Patriots, George Mason managed to steal a set but Penn State came away with a hard fought 3-1 win.

For more information on the Penn State men's volleyball team, please visit GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State men's volleyball 2012 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets.

The Penn State men's volleyball team is on Twitter. Follow @PSUVolleyball to get the inside scoop.