Penn State men's volleyball looks to topple top-ranked Buckeyes

The First Point Collegiate Challenge in Austin proved to be a learning experience for the No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions.

After starting the season with four consecutive home victories, the blue and white dropped both matches of the campaign’s first road trip, albeit against quality opponents in then-No. 8 Stanford and the defending champion UCLA Bruins, who entered Saturday’s matchup at No. 1 in the AVCA Coaches Poll.

But the early-season gauntlet doesn’t end yet for the Nittany Lions, as they will head to Columbus to take on the nation’s new top team – the Ohio State Buckeyes – on Thursday.

The Nittany Lions will square off with the scarlet and gray in the Covelli Center on Thursday at 6 p.m. The teams will then renew pleasantries on Sunday, this time playing in Rec Hall in a “Wear White” match at 3 p.m.

One could say that the Buckeyes were “California dreamin’” during their stretch in Texas. Ohio State knocked off UCLA in a reverse sweep on Friday night before picking up a Saturday win in another five-set thriller against then-No. 13 USC.

The triumphs – Friday night’s win in particular – vaulted the Buckeyes to their first No. 1 ranking in the AVCA Coaches Poll in six years.

A big part of the reason for Ohio State’s success was the performance of senior outside hitter Jacob Pasteur. Pasteur recorded 23 kills and seven digs in the win over the Bruins before tacking on 13 more terminations against the Trojans. Pasteur’s efforts garnered him AVCA National Collegiate Player of the Week honors.

While Ohio State and Penn State are not conference rivals in men’s volleyball, there’s no doubt that the two matchups between the teams this week will carry a little extra emphasis.

Last March, the Buckeyes upset Penn State in Rec Hall when the Nittany Lions were ranked No. 1 in the country. Penn State got the last laugh, though, as the blue and white ended Ohio State’s season with a 3-1 victory in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.

If the Nittany Lions plan on spoiling Ohio State’s party once again, they will likely have to rely on the performance of their own 2024 AVCA National Collegiate Player of the Week recipient in graduate opposite hitter John Kerr.

Kerr’s 31-kill performance against then-No. 16 Lewis has been the highlight of the Nittany Lions’ season to date. But Kerr struggled in Austin, only recording five kills against UCLA before leaving and not returning to the contest in the latter part of the second set.

If Kerr is good to go for Thursday’s match, history says he could be due for another big performance. Kerr had a season-high 21 kills last January when the Nittany Lions beat the Buckeyes in four sets in Columbus.

But regardless of Kerr’s availability, the Nittany Lions will undoubtedly need contributions from all over the hardwood to pull off an upset.

Will Kuhns could be a player to watch, particularly in the instance that Kerr is unable to go. Kuhns entered the lineup following Kerr’s exit and led the team with a career-high nine kills, despite not recording his first kill until the 18-15 mark of the second set.

Even if Kerr plays, Kuhns’ performance against the Bruins could have been enough to show head coach Mark Pavlik that the senior is ready to step into a bigger role, potentially as an “X-factor” that could become a difference maker when the Nittany Lions prepare for their second of three straight matches against the No. 1-ranked team in the land.

Kasey Kreider is a fourth-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email kmk6865@psu.edu.