Volleyball: Men's

Playoffs?!

It's that time of year, folks. The moment you've all been waiting for.

The EIVA end of year tournament starts off tonight in Rec Hall at 5:30 with Harvard taking on George Mason and is followed by Penn State taking on Princeton at 7:30.

It should be one of the more interesting tournaments in recent years as the conference has offered much more depth than usual this year.

A trip to the Final Four is on the line and it's safe to say there will be no shortage of intensity in the tournament's three sudden death matches.

Here are our three reporters' predictions regarding the tournament's outcome.

Kevin Byrne’s predictions:

(2) Harvard Vs. (3) George Mason

The Winner: George Mason in five sets.
The Patriots cruised to a three set victory at Harvard back on Feb. 20 and lost a tough five set match at home on March 2. These two teams are evenly matched and while Harvard has been the story of the EIVA this season with its resurgence, I think the Patriots can pull off the upset. The Patriots will be looking to avenge their March 2 loss when they blew a 2-1 lead in the match.

(1) Penn State vs. (4) Princeton

The Winner: Penn State in four sets.
The Nittany Lions handled the Tigers easily on Feb. 24 with a 3-0 sweep at home. It was a different story on the road on March 30 as the Lions barely won in five sets. In fact, Princeton had Penn State facing eight match points but couldn’t finish them off. No doubt the Tigers are confident they can play with Penn State but can they stay with them in Rec Hall in the most important time of the year? I don’t think so. Penn State is too deep and has too many weapons. Redshirt seniors Joe Sunder and Edgardo Goas haven’t come all this way to lose in the first round of the EIVA Tournament.

(1) Penn State vs. (3) George Mason

The Winner: Penn State in four sets.
The Patriots will be tough but in the end, they won’t deny the Nittany Lions a shot at their 14th consecutive EIVA championship and a trip to the Final Four. George Mason has some nice weapons in junior outside hitter Mark Jones and junior Michael Kvidahl, who are ninth and tenth respectively in kills, but they won’t be enough to beat Penn State. If Mason has any thoughts of winning, it will need to disrupt Penn State’s offense with its blocking, which finished first in the EIVA.

Penn State has been challenged in the EIVA this year, maybe more than it has in over a decade. They expect every team to bring their best, especially now that the playoffs have arrived. This is the moment all 17 of these players have been waiting for since the season began in January. I just don’t see them overlooking George Mason now when it matters most. It really shouldn’t matter what lineup Penn State coach Mark Pavlik puts on the floor, because every player on the team is capable of producing at a high level.

Wynton Jake Somerville’s Predictions:

(2) Harvard vs. (3) George Mason

Winner: Harvard wins in five sets.
Though the season series between these two teams is 1-1 and George Mason swept the Crimson earlier this season, tonight will be a different story. Harvard has proven all year that they are a force to be dealt with, with a huge upset victory over Cal-State Northridge and taking Penn State five sets. George Mason will play Harvard tough especially after a five set loss to Princeton put a bitter taste in their match, but will not top Harvard.

(1) Penn State vs. (4) Princeton

Winner: Penn State in three sets.
Even after Princeton took Penn State five sets in their last meeting, and are coming in off of a six match winning streak they will not match the physicality of Penn State. Penn State will remember the close match and will be looking to put down a confident Tigers squad quickly. With the leadership of Joe Sunder and Edgardo Goas, Penn State will roll.

(1) Penn State vs. (2) Harvard

Winner: Penn State in four sets.
Harvard will come out to win the first set, but in similar fashion to Princeton will be overwhelmed by Penn State’s physicality. Penn State will cruise to their 14th consecutive EIVA Tournament Championship.

John Stuetz’s predictions:

(2) Harvard vs. (3) George Mason

Winner: Harvard in five sets.
Other than a four-set loss at NJIT on April 13, Harvard has not had a bad loss all season. They are 18-5 overall and took Penn State to five sets AT Penn State. That’s unheard of folks. Look for Matt Jones to continue his dominant season in which he’s tallied 3.80 kills per set. Harvard in five.

(1) Penn State vs. (4) Princeton

Winner: Penn State in four sets.
It’s not gonna be easy, but I just can’t see Princeton beating the EIVA powerhouse, Penn State, or even taking the Lions to five sets like their last meeting. Penn State took care of business to the tune of a speedy sweep the last time these two teams met at home and, though I see Princeton stealing the first set, I expect the Lions to more or less control the match from there on. Look for Sunder to do what Sunder does: kills, kills, and some more kills. Penn State in four.

(1) Penn State vs. (2) Harvard

Winner: Penn State in five sets.
Similar to their last matchup in Rec Hall on April 7, I expect Harvard to put up a hefty fight. The Crimson have all the tools to push Penn State to the wire, even on the Lions’ home court. It will take a group effort for Penn State to pull this one out — look for Goodell to break out off the bench — but the 21-5 Lions have simply come too far to not make the trip to L.A. for the Final Four next weekend. Anything short of an EIVA tournament title would be nothing short of a failure for fifth-year seniors Eddy Goas and Joe Sunder and the rest of the Penn State gang. Penn State in five.