No. 19 Penn State men’s volleyball (4-8, 2-2 EIVA) defeated NJIT (7-4, 2-2 EIVA) 3-1 in Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday night. The Nittany Lions and the Highlanders split the weekend series after NJIT won Friday night in a 3-0 sweep.

It was an offensive explosion for Penn State. The Nittany Lions recorded five more kills than NJIT, mostly due to Will Kuhns’s 21 kills, Gaige Gabriel’s 11, and Matt Cosgrove’s nine. Owen Rose also tied a season-high with eight total blocks.

How It Happened

The first set started like most of the sets during Friday’s match, lots of back-and-forth play. The first six scores were split until kills by Alessandro Negri and Braeden Goebbert gave NJIT a 3-5 lead. Ross got a kill in return but the Highlanders maintained at least a one-score lead until a Antonio Feliciano kill gave NJIT a three-score lead.

That lead grew to five after a 3-0 run that featured a Penn State error and kills from Andrew Fedmasu and Wiktor Nowak. Penn State cut the lead back down to two after it went on a 3-0 run of its own due to two NJIT errors and a kill by Kuhns.

The Nittany Lions managed to cut the lead down to one after another Kuhns kill a couple of scores later. A Rose service error, a Kuhns kill, and a Gabriel kill tied the set at 16-16 until a Nowak kill and a Kuhns error made it a two-score game again.

Penn State tied the set again after a Nowak error and a Rose, Michael Schwob, and Cosgrove block at 20-20. The teams exchanged the next eight scores to make it 24-24 and force overtime. A Feliciano service error and a Miller Trubey kill gave Penn State the first set 26-24.

The second set wasn’t as eventful for the Nittany Lions. NJIT jumped to another early lead at 4-2 and eventually grew it to 7-3 with the help of several Penn State errors. The Highlanders maintained the four-score cushion until a kill by Negril made it 10-5.

The lead then grew to six when Kuhns committed a service error and Nowak recorded a kill. The Nittany Lions cut the lead down some with kills by Rose and Schwob at 14-10 but NJIT answered with a kill by Feliciano and a block by Nowak and Fedmasu.

A Trubey kill and two Kuhns kills shrunk the lead to three and it stayed that way until a Nowak kill and a Kuhns error. Goebbert got a kill and teamed up with Feliciano and Bruno Figueiredo for a block to make it 21-15.

Like the rest of the second set, Penn State struggled to get the deficit and dropped set No. 2 25-17.

The first six scores of the third set were split until NJIT claimed a 6-3 lead with a Schwob error, a Fedmasu and Nowak block, and a Feliciano ace. The Nittany Lions responded with two quick kills from Trubey and Schwob.

The next four scores were split and an error by Negri tied it at 8-8. Penn State quickly took an 11-10 lead after that and built it up to a three-score lead off of Trubey’s kill and Rose’s block.

The Nittany Lions maintained the lead and grew it by a point more when Cosgrove notched an ace to make it 16-12. Two Penn State errors made it a two-score game. From there, NJIT struggled to keep up.

Penn State held onto the lead for the rest of the set. The closest the Highlanders got was when the set hit 21-20 but Rose’s kill and a block by Cosgrove and Rose to put it away as the Nittany Lions took the third set 25-21.

The fourth set started with Penn State down 3-1, but it quickly tied the set with a Rose kill and a block by Rose and Cosgrove. NJIT claimed a two-score lead moments later but the Nittany Lions tied it again with two Kuhns kills.

The next five scores were split and Penn State gained a two-score lead when Gabriel got a kill and Kuhns followed with an ace. The Nittany Lions protected the small lead for most of the set until a Cosgrove error made it 18-18. NJIT took the lead on the next score.

Penn State regained the lead again when Cosgrove got a kill and Fedmasu committed an error. Nowak tied it again with a kill at 22-22 and the teams alternated the eight scores as the set went into overtime.

A clutch Kuhns kill and Nowak error ended the final set 28-26 in favor of Penn State.

Takeaways

• This was a big win for the Nittany Lions. Ignore the overall record because this team’s goals rely on hosting and winning the EIVA Tournament. With a 2-2 conference record, Penn State still sits second last, but it is only one game back from first place.
• Kuhns had a career night against NJIT. The redshirt senior recorded a career-high 21 kills and hit .357.
• Although Penn State had more kills than NJIT, it wasn’t the main reason for the win. The Nittany Lions scored 13 more points than the Highlanders and the 12 blocks were a big reason why.

What’s Next?

Penn State returns to Rec Hall to host Merrimack at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 28. The match will be streamed on BTN+.