Gutor honored for role in four-game victory

Penn State senior men's volleyball outside hitter Alex Gutor (Kiev, Ukraine) has been named the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) Player of the Week for his role in No. 7 Penn State's four-game victory over Ohio State last week.

Gutor set new career highs in kills (27), total attacks (51) and points (27.5) in the victory over the Buckeyes on Thursday. He was the catalyst for the Nittany Lions, averaging 6.75 kills per game while attacking at a .353 percentage for the match.

Head coach Mark Pavlik and the Nittany Lions continue EIVA home action this weekend against Saint Francis and George Mason on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 9-10.

Wrestling attendance on rise from last year

Capped off by the largest Rec Hall home crowd in years, the Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling program showcased amazing growth in its average attendance for the 2006-07 season. Head coach Troy Sunderland's squad averaged 3,475 fans for every Rec Hall dual meet, an increase of 26 percent over last year's total.

"The support of our fans has always been a vital part in our success and this year they've come out and proven that again," Sunderland said. "I'd like to congratulate every person who came to a match this year for making Rec Hall such a special place to wrestle.

The fan interest, combined with the great efforts of our administration and marketing and promotions staff, have allowed us to experience this kind of growth. I know I speak for everyone within the Penn State wrestling family when I say 'thank you'."

Penn State hosted six dual matches this year. Three saw attendance top 3,000 and two had attendance over 2,900.

Sunday's home finale against Iowa saw 5,841 fans pack Rec Hall for the highest single-season attendance figure since over 6,400 witnessed Penn State and Iowa battle during the 1998-99 season.

The growth in attendance over the last two years, a stunning increase of 57 percent from the 2004-05 figure, mirrors the growth and excitement within the program itself.

State averaged 2,757 fans last season which was, at the time, an eight year high.