No. 3 seed Penn State men’s volleyball (13-15, 9-4 EIVA) swept No. 2 seed NJIT (14-13, 8-5 EIVA) in the semifinals of the EIVA Tournament at Dillon Gymnasium on Thursday night.

Matthew Luoma and Gaige Gabriel paved the way for Penn State’s second consecutive sweep, as the Nittany Lions will play for an EIVA championship this Saturday.

How It Happened

Penn State’s bid for a spot in the EIVA title match started out with the two teams splitting the first 22 points. Kills by Owen Rose, Michael Schwob, and Luoma helped the Nittany Lions get out to a strong start. NJIT was able to counter Penn State’s strong attack with multiple blocks at the net. Three blocks in a row by Antonio Feliciano and Braeden Goebbert provided the Highlanders with a strong presence up front. 

The scoring pattern was eventually broken as NJIT extended their lead 13-11. After two Highlander kills went untouched by Penn State, the game paused for a media timeout with the Nittany Lions down 15-13.

A Will Kuhns kill immediately followed the break. After Penn State tied the score at 19 thanks to a misdirected block attempt, the point was eventually overturned as the ball was deemed in-bounds. The Highlanders held a slim 20-18 lead as the first set drew closer to its end.

A kill by NJIT’s Alessandro Negri helped retain the two-point margin, as the Highlander senior recorded his ninth of the match. After a point was called for NJIT due to an apparent Penn State tip at the net, head coach Mark Pavlik successfully challenged the call. A small run by the Nittany Lions allowed them to take a 23-22 lead. A Luoma kill gave the team a set point, and a block by Rose closed it out. The Nittany Lions would head to the second set after taking the first 25-22.

The second set began with a NJIT attack error, giving Penn State the first point. The Highlanders scored the next three points, but a strong kill by Rose down the middle prevented a further run. Penn State tied the score at four, courtesy of a block by Gabriel, and took the lead off of a Schwob service ace. Shortly thereafter, a service ace by Luoma helped extend the Nittany Lion lead, now up 11-7.

Kills by Carter Dittman, Luoma, and Kuhns comprised three out of the next four points for Penn State, as the score read 15-10 before a media timeout. After the pause in the action, NJIT scored four unanswered points to bring the set within one. A Penn State attack error allowed the Highlanders to tie the score.

The next six points were exchanged between the two teams, as NJIT and Penn State battled, despite most of the points coming via the attack or service error. The Highlanders called a timeout down 21-19. After the timeout, the blue and white were able to cruise to a second-set victory, as a NJIT attack error gave the Nittany Lions a 25-21 win. They would head to the third set with their eyes on a sweep, and a spot in the title game. 

NJIT took the first point of the second set, but after four kills by Luoma and one by Gabriel, the Nittany Lions promptly took a 7-5 lead. After the Highlanders responded with a kill of their own, Gabriel notched another one to keep a two-point lead. Another Luoma service ace and kill allowed Penn State to extend that margin, gaining an 11-8 advantage.

The teams exchanged punches as the score was 16-13 midway through the third set. Play stopped briefly before it was determined that a Nittany Lion serve was just long. The score difference remained at three points until a Gabriel kill gave Penn State a 21-17 advantage. After a NJIT kill and service ace, Pavlik called a timeout to try to compose his group. 

As play resumed, Kuhns notched a kill. Penn State gave NJIT the point right back after a service error. The Highlanders closed the gap even further thanks to a Josh Gregg kill, but a NJIT service error and Luoma kill gave Penn State some breathing room and a match point. 

The Nittany Lions closed out the three-set sweep of NJIT due to an attack error from Gregg. Penn State took the final set 25-21 and secured a trip to the EIVA championship.  

Takeaways

• Penn State held a team hitting percentage of .353 in the match, compared to NJIT’s .295. Its strong offensive performance helped it get through key stretches of the match.
• Luoma led the way with 17 kills, while Gabriel had an impressive hitting percentage of .700 on 10 attempts. The two accounted for much of Penn State’s offensive production.
• The Nittany Lions secured their second consecutive sweep and will play for a title on Saturday. A win would mark an incredible rebound on the season and would give them a chance to hoist the NCAA trophy.

What’s Next?

Penn State will face No. 1 seed Princeton in the EIVA title match. The match will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 26, at Dillon Gymnasium. A win for the Nittany Lions would give the team an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament.