UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- No. 19 Penn State Men's Volleyball returns to EIVA play this weekend as it travels for a pair of matches at NJIT. The teams play at 6 p.m. on Friday and 7 p.m. on Saturday. Both matches are at the Joel & Diane Bloom Wellness and Events Center in Newark.
Friday's match will stream on AmericaEast.TV, while Saturday's match will stream on ESPN+.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, Feb. 21 – 6 p.m.
#19 Penn State (3-7, 1-1 EIVA) at NJIT (6-3, 1-1 EIVA) | Live Stats | Watch
Saturday, Feb. 22 – 7 p.m. ET
#19 Penn State (3-7, 1-1 EIVA) at NJIT (6-3, 1-1 EIVA) | Live Stats | Watch
OPENING NOTES
• Penn State returns to EIVA play riding a three-match winning streak with a conference win over Harvard and a pair of non-conference victories against Saint Francis.
• The Nittany Lions finally played their home opener last match but now go back on the road for the 10th and 11th matches this season. They’ve played matches in Illinois, Texas, Ohio, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, and will now add New Jersey to that list.
SERIES HISTORY
• Penn State and NJIT will meet for the 57th and 58th time. The teams first played in 1977.
• The Nittany Lions are 54-2 in the all-time series, including a current eight-match winning streak. Their last loss to the Highlanders came at Rec Hall in 2021.
• Penn State is 21-1 in road matches against NJIT, with the lone loss coming in 1998. The Nittany Lions have won 18 straight road matches against the Highlanders.
• Twenty-one of the matches in the series have come with Penn State head coach Mark Pavlik and NJIT head coach Danny Goncalves on the sideline.
SCOUTING NJIT
• NJIT is 6-3 overall and 1-1 in the EIVA following a 3-1 loss to Princeton in its most recent match.
• The Highlanders were picked second in the EIVA Preseason Poll. Senior outside hitter Alessandro Negri and senior outside hitter Antonio Feliciano were named Players to Watch.
• NJIT leads the EIVA in hitting percentage (.318), kills/set (12.62), and opponent hitting percentage (.238). Bruno Figueiredo leads the conference in assists/set (10.20).
CAREER HIGHS SET LAST WEEKEND
at Saint Francis (Friday)
• Matt Cosgrove - blocks (4)
• Matthew Luoma - aces (2)
vs. Saint Francis (Saturday)
• Matthew Luoma - kills (18)
STREAKS TO WATCH
Matthew Luoma
• 3 straight matches with at least one ace
Ryan Merk
• 71 straight starts at libero
UP NEXT
• Penn State hosts Merrimack on Friday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. The Warriors are 3-3 following wins over American International College (3-0), Sacred Heart (3-1), and American International College again (3-0).