Penn State’s No. 15 ranked men’s volleyball team will continue Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) play with two matches at Charleston on April 3 and 4. The Nittany Lions, currently holding a 6-0 conference record, are beginning the second half of their EIVA schedule as they look to maintain their lead over George Mason in the standings.
The series between Penn State and Charleston dates back to 2016, with Penn State leading the all-time matchups 20-1. The Nittany Lions have never lost an away game against Charleston, boasting a perfect 9-0 road record in the series. Last season, however, Charleston earned its first win over Penn State at Rec Hall.
Key players for Penn State include Owen Rose, who has averaged a .434 hitting percentage and leads the nation in blocks per set (1.37), as well as Michael Schwob and Sean Harvey who have also posted strong performances against Charleston. Rose recently set a program record with 14 blocks in a sweep over Harvard on Feb. 20.
Head coach Mark Pavlik is overseeing his final season after announcing his retirement prior to this year—his thirty-second as head coach and only the third in program history for men’s volleyball at Penn State. Pavlik’s tenure includes a national championship in 2008, ten EIVA Coach of the Year awards, and more than seven hundred career wins.
Charleston enters this weekend’s matches with a record of thirteen wins and ten losses overall (4-4 EIVA), already surpassing last season’s total victories. The Golden Eagles lead the conference in aces per set (1.44), while Yotam Briger ranks second individually in assists per set (9.76). Senior Lucas Torres and sophomore Kai Cousins were named Players to Watch before the season began.
Penn State has been ranked No. 15 in every American Volleyball Coaches Association poll so far this season and has appeared in that poll for six hundred twenty out of six hundred fifty-six weeks since its inception.
