Volleyball: Men's
Men's volleyball sweeps Saint Francis in Rec Hall
Almost a month after Penn State lost its first match, that loss remains the only blemish on the team's resume.
The Nittany Lions swept Saint Francis (25-15, 25-21, 25-17) to claim their ninth consecutive victory, improving to 9-1 on the year, and a perfect 3-0 in the EIVA.
Penn State dominated the Red Flash in every aspect of the game, outhitting them (.455 to .133), out-blocking them (7.5 to 2.0) and serving more aces (6 to 2).
According to Saint Francis head coach Mike Rumbaugh, that last statistic dictated the entire match.
"One thing the Nittany Lions do well is whenever the pressure is on, they just bring the serve harder," Rumbaugh said. "I think they're the best serving team that we play year in and year out. They're very good at controlling teams just from the end line."
Saint Francis was kept under control for a vast majority of the match, only holding a lead for two points in the entire match. Penn State was able to sideout 75%, keeping the ball in its court and capitalizing on its lethal serving.
Redshirt freshman Matt Seifert led the team with 10 kills, a high for the redshirt freshman. Tom Comfort and Peter Russell continued their strong campaigns, adding nine kills apiece.
The Nittany Lions also reached a high this season, but not in a statistic on the court. Rec Hall drew in 1,222 fans for the Friday match, topping the previous 2013 attendance high of 768 set in the team's home opener against Lewis on January 18.
Penn State will likely exceed that number on Saturday, as Ohio State visits for the team's most anticipated home match of the season at 8 p.m.