** The NCAA title was the first for the men's volleyball program since 1994 when Penn State became the first school from outside California to win the title, as the previous 24 titles were won by teams from the Golden State.
** The National Title is the first for head coach Mark Pavlik, who was an assistant coach on the 1994 team that captured the school's first national championship. He brings his own hardware home to enjoy with his wife Heather, who is an associate head coach for the Juniata College women's volleyball team that captured the Division III National Championship titles in 2004 and 2006.
** Matt Anderson becomes Penn State's second-ever NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player, joining Ramon Hernandez who earned the honor in 1994. The Nittany Lions have now had 27 players named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team with the 2008 additions of Anderson, Max Holt, Luke Murray and Max Lipsitz.
** Penn State is also the only school outside of California to have its men's and women's programs capture a national championship, as the Nittany Lion women's squad won in 1999 and also this past fall in 2007, outlasting Stanford in five games at Arco Arena in Sacramento on Dec. 15.
** Penn State has won four NCAA championships in the past 14 months: (Men's volleyball (2008), women's volleyball (2007), fencing (2007), men's gymnastics (2007).
** Penn State is just the second school to win the NCAA men's and women's volleyball national title in same academic year, joining Stanford in 1996-97. The NCAA began sponsoring women's volleyball in 1981.
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** Penn State Volleyball becomes just the 19th program in NCAA history - in all sports - to have its men's and women's programs capture a national championship in the same academic year. It joins University of Connecticut Basketball (2004), University of Wisconsin Cross Country (1985), Stanford Cross Country (1996, 2003), University of Colorado Cross Country (2004), Wayne State University Fencing (1982), Arizona State University Golf (1990), University of Wisconsin Ice Hockey (2006), Princeton Lacrosse (1994), University of Texas Swimming/Diving (1988, 1990, 1991), Stanford Swimming/Diving (1992, 1993, 1994, 1998), Auburn Swimming Diving (2003, 2004, 2006, 2007), Stanford Tennis (1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1997), LSU Indoor Track/Field (2004), LSU Outdoor Track/Field (1989, 1990), Stanford Volleyball (Women's Fall 1996, Men's Spring 1997), Stanford Water Polo (Men's Fall 2001, Women's Spring 2002), University of Southern California Water Polo (Men's Fall 2003, Women's Spring 2004) and UCLA Water Polo (Men's Fall 2004, Women's Spring 2005).
** Senior setter Luke Murray ended his career on an outstanding note, not only with a national title but also with his first collegiate triple-double. The six-foot setter recorded his first collegiate triple-double with a season-high 63 assists, a career-high 12 digs and a career-high 11 blocks.
** Penn State recorded a season-high 19 blocks in the National Championship match against Pepperdine, besting its previous season-high of 18.5 set against Ohio State in the NCAA National Semifinal on Thursday, May 1. For the NCAA Championship as a team, the Nittany Lions recorded 37.5 team blocks, good for an average of 4.69 blocks per game.
** For the NCAA Championship, Luke Murray directed the Nittany Lions to a combined .409 hitting percentage and for the season, Penn State shattered the previous team hitting percentage record of .384 set by the 1994 National Champions, attacking at a .399 clip for the 2008 campaign.
** Junior outside hitter Matt Anderson's 29 kills against Pepperdine in the NCAA title match gave him his 30th double-digit kill match of the season. For the NCAA Championship, Anderson recorded an astounding 59 kills, for an average of 7.38 kills per game, on .460 hitting. His 567 kills for the season also places him sixth all-time on the Penn State single-season kills list.
** Junior middle hitter Max Holt ended the year attacking at a .548 clip, which places him second all-time in the Penn State single-season annals. He also recorded 48 service aces in 2008, good for second on the single-season list and his two aces in the NCAA Championship move him into second all-time on the career list, just two behind Zeljko Koljesar (2000-2003).
** Freshman libero Dennis Del Valle recorded a match-high and career-high-tying 16 digs and for the NCAA Championship, Del Valle racked up 30 total digs for an average of 3.75 digs per game. He ends the season with 264 digs, which places him eighth all-time on Penn State's single season digs list.
** Sophomore middle hitter Max Lipsitz recorded a career-high 17 kills on .500 hitting in the National Championship match. He also posted a career-high 12 blocks in the NCAA National Semifinal win over Ohio State on May 1.
** Junior outside hitter Jay Stauffer fell one dig shy of his career-best with nine against Pepperdine, but equaled his personal-best with four blocks against the Waves.
** Junior opposite Ryan Sweitzer's 10 kills gave him 19 double-digit kill matches for the year. He recorded a career-high in every statistical category during the 2008 season.
