Penn State Men’s Volleyball’s libero Ryan Merk was named the EIVA Defensive Player of the Week, the association announced Monday. It’s the seventh time Merk has earned the award in his career, and the third time this season.

The redshirt senior earned the award after two impressive performances against two top-10 opponents last week. In the Nittany Lions’ match against No. 6 Pepperdine, Merk recorded eight digs and allowed just one ace on 25 serve receptions.

Later in the week, Merk recorded 10 digs in just three sets against No. 5 USC. His 10 digs mark the sixth time this season that Merk has tallied 10 or more digs in a match.

Across the week, Merk averaged 2.57 digs per set and a 39-40 serve receive. Merk now leads the EIVA in digs per set with an average of 2.32 this season.

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Sarah Nasif

Sarah is a fourth-year broadcast journalism student from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who also shares a passion for writing. She might be from Badger Country, but don't fret, she's always been a huge fan of all things Penn State. She's also a self-proclaimed baseball enthusiast. You can find her on Instagram @sarahsidelines or via email @[email protected].

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