No. 19 Penn State men’s volleyball (5-13, 2-2 EIVA) fell short to No. 12 Ball State (14-8, 6-3 MIVA) in its third and final game of the Outrigger Volleyball Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Saturday night.

After being swept in both of the previous matchups this tournament and losing their last four games, Penn State put up a fight in the first set, but ultimately fell short. The Nittany Lions bounced back strong in the second set, reversing the score on Ball State. In the third set, the Nittany Lions got into a hole early and never dug themselves out. They bounced back in the fourth set but in the deciding set, Penn State couldn’t recover from the deficit, dropping the set and the game.

How It Happened

Penn State started the game on fire, with kills from Matthew Luoma and Will Kuhns helping the Nittany Lions take control early, recording the first five points of the match. Ball State responded with three straight points of their own from a kill, attack error, and ace, halting Penn State’s momentum. A kill by Kuhns and an attack error by Patrick Rogers put the Nittany Lions up 7-3 early.

After trading points, a kill from Rodger and back-to-back blocks from Vanis Buckholz brought the Cardinals within one. Penn State fought back and recorded the next three points with the help of Owen Rose and Luoma. After a few back-and-forth exchanges, the Nittany Lions held a 15-12 lead.

The Cardinal’s secured the next six points on a mixture of aces from Rogers and kills by Ryan Bartz, Braydon Savitski-Lynde, and Raje Alleyne. Out of the timeout, Penn State scored points on the next two plays because of service errors from Rogers but was still behind 19-17. Kills from Alleyne and Buckholz, along with a bad set by Michael Schwob, gave the Cardinals a 22-17 lead. Luoma tried to keep the Nittany Lions in the set, but Penn State couldn’t dig itself out of the late deficit, and Ball State took set one 25-20.

Luoma started the second set just like the first one, recording a kill for the Nittany Lions. Ball State responded with a kill of its own, followed by another ace by Rogers. Schwob evened the score with a kill set up by Luoma, but an attack error by Kuhns gave the lead right back to the Cardinals. The teams traded points, and Ball State held a slim 6-5 lead.

Peter Zurawski and Luoma traded kills, and Carter Dittman evened up the score on the next play with a kill for the Nittany Lions. Dittman’s service error would give the Cardinals an 11-9 lead, but Rogers’ service error on the next play equaled the damage. A kill by Kuhns and an attack error by Bartz tied the match at 12-12.

Ball State scored on back-to-back plays, but the Nittany Lions answered that by winning five of the next six points, giving them an 18-16 lead. An attack error by Dittman brought Ball State within a point, but kills from Rose and Schwob gave Penn State some breathing room. Back-to-back attack errors by Alleyne gave Penn State a 22-17 lead.

Ball State scored twice, but a Braydon Savitski-Lynde service error, followed by an attack error by Buckholz, pushed Penn State over the edge, winning the second set by a score of 25-20.

The third set got underway with a kill by Savitski-Lynde for Ball State. Errors by Kuhns, Luoma, Rose, and Schwob set the Cardinals out in front 5-0. Alleyne added to the lead with a kill, but Penn State’s Rose put an end to the run. The Nittany Lions and Cardinals then exchanged errors, and Ball State was up 9-2 early.

The teams went back and forth for the next couple points, and Ball State held a seven-point lead early. Penn State recorded three out of the next four points on kills from Luoma and Kuhns but still trailed 17-11. The Cardinals responded with a 7-0 run of their own, sitting on match point. A kill from Luoma would delay the inevitable, and Ball State closed out the set 25-12 on the next play.

Sean Harvey recorded the first point of the fourth set for Penn State. A service error by Kuhns leveled the scoring. The Nittany Lions recorded three more kills early, but three service errors on behalf of Penn State kept the Cardinals right there. Kuhns and Alleyne exchanged kills, and the score was even at 6-6.

Luoma recorded kills on back-to-back plays, but service errors once again kept the match tied. Penn State won three of the next four points, in part due to two kills by Kuhns. The teams then exchanged kills, and Penn State led 14-11. Ball State would bring the deficit back to one after kills from Alleyne and Rogers.

A kill by Kuhns, an ace by Schwob, and a block by Luoma put the Nittany Lions back up by four. A kill by Rogers brought the score to 18-15, then Luoma and Alleyne exchanged points for their respective teams. Penn State would score the next point on a Rogers service error, but a Savitski-Lynde kill and Luoma attack error brought the Cardinals within two.

Roses kill and back-to-back Trubey aces brought the Nittany Lions within reaching distance, leading 23-18. Alleyne scored once more for the Cardinals, but a service error from Bartz ended the set with Penn State winning 25-20, yet again.

Ball State once again came out hot, with Rogers recording multiple aces. The Cardinals led 6-1 early. A service error from the Cardinals would tack on a point for the Nittany Lions, but the Cardinals responded once again, claiming three of the next four points and a 9-3 lead.

Service errors from Alleyne and Harvey gave Penn State two more points, but a kill by Rogers and an attack error by Luoma reinstated the Cardinals’ six-point lead. Two attack errors from Rogers put Penn State right back into the game, trailing by a score of 12-8.

Ball State scored on a kill by Rogers, but on the next play, an attack error by Rogers lost the point. A service error by Kuhns put the Cardinals one play away from victory, and Savitski-Lynde finished the job off, winning the final set by a score of 15-10.

Takeaways

• Penn State will regret not capitalizing on its strong start in the first set. After jumping out to a 5-0 lead, the Nittany Lions allowed Ball State to fight back with a 6-0 run of their own, shifting the momentum.
• Service errors were a major issue for Penn State, as multiple miscues from the line prevented it from closing out crucial moments. In the fourth set alone, three service errors kept Ball State within striking distance, making it difficult for the Nittany Lions to extend their lead.
• Hitting efficiency continues to be an area of concern. Penn State had too many attack errors, especially in the third set when they struggled to generate offense, allowing Ball State to cruise to a 25-12 win. 
• Ball State’s duo of Patrick Rogers and Raje Alleyne dictated the match, combining for several key aces and kills that kept the pressure on Penn State throughout.

What’s Next?

Penn State will want to end its five-game losing streak when it plays Charleston in its White Out game at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 28, at Rec Hall. The Nittany Lions will have 13 days off before this game.