Penn State fights through injury and illness to beat the Knights

No. 9 Penn State and unranked FDU faced off for the first time ever on Saturday, with the Nittany Lions coming out on top in a four-set match.

Head Coach Mark Pavlik relied on Penn State’s depth in this match, and all the players he called on stepped up in a big way.

“We had to call on some guys. It’s their first time to be out there, and we capitalized.”

Matt Cosgrove, Zach Stowe and Will Kuhns made their first starts of the season, and all three players had significant impacts in this match. Cosgrove recorded six kills, Stowe recorded five while hitting .375, and Kuhns had a career-high 12 kills.

Stowe discussed always being ready to step up when needed.

“I always need to be ready to come in. And even if I am not as experienced as those other guys, I mean, I come in and try my best, and get results.”

However, when Penn State needed vital points, they relied on their top hitter, Michal Kowal, to get the kill.

Kowal had a career performance, tallying 24 kills with only a single error. Kowal fell one kill short of the career-high 25 kills he recorded last week at Purdue Fort Wayne. However, Kowal was much more efficient in this match, hitting .687 compared to .387 vs Purdue Fort Wayne.

Coach Pavlik quickly complimented his star player, saying, “You know Michal’s been playing that way for us for the last six weeks. He knows the game really well. Solid passer. He’s got great range left to right and up and down.”

Kowal, who now leads Penn State with 118 kills, has been instrumental during Kerr’s absence. The senior has become the number one option for the No. 9 Nittany Lions.

The Nittany Lions were without starters John Kerr, Toby Ezeonu, Michael Schwob, and Michael Valenzi in this match due to injury, illness, and load management. However, the starters still made an impact on the sidelines, riling up their teammates on the court.

In particular, Ezeonu was animated on the sideline, while watching his teammates perform on the court. Stowe was quick to appreciate his teammate’s encouragement. “Keeping the energy on our side up, he’s pivotal in that like he’s just loud positive he’s awesome.”

However, another player from Coach Pavlik’s bench would make the difference late in this match.

Late in the fourth set, with Penn State behind 20-19, Coach Pavlik sent freshman Carter Dittman into the match to serve. Dittman, who hadn’t scored a point so far this season, recorded an ace on his first serve and helped the Nittany Lions win four points in a row to take a 24-20 lead. Penn State would win the set and the match two points later.

“Being intentional in practice and what you’re doing is super important because when you get in a situation like this, there’s nothing like it,” Dittman said. “So being prepared is the most important part.”

Penn State will have a week to prepare before traveling to Princeton for a two-match series on Friday and Saturday. The series versus Princeton marks the start of EIVA play for the Nittany Lions. The Nittany Lions hope to repeat last season’s EIVA success as the team went undefeated with a 10-0 record.

Owen Cameros is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email ohc5024@psu.edu.