Penn State men's volleyball sails by Lees-McRae to remain perfect

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - To say that the Nittany Lions are off to a hot start to the season would be an understatement. The seventh-ranked Penn State men’s volleyball squad took this hot start and transformed it into its second sweep in three games this season, Thursday night vs. Lees-McRae.

The usual faces at the helm of this sweep were Toby Ezeonu, John Kerr and Owen Rose. The trio was the face of this offense on a cold, blustery evening in University Park and accounted for nine kills apiece, tearing apart the Lees-McRae defense.

“They’re [Ezeonu and Kerr] big guys and they spread the offense for us and they’re consistent,” setter Michael Schwob said.

This aggressive nature was evident in the first set where Penn State took the lead after the third point in the set and never looked back, winning it 25-13. The Nittany Lions’ star of the night, Ezeonu, was mainly to credit for this kick-start, playing a part in three of the first four points.

“I was really pleased with the aggressiveness we had,” head coach Mark Pavlik said.

Along with the aggressive nature of the offense, the service aces for Penn State propelled them to a win. The team combined for 11 total aces to put them over the top.

“Toby, Owen, the whole team this week I think made a concerted effort to really hone in on their serving and I think it showed through the entire match,” Pavlik said.

While they may have been playing a top-10-ranked team on the road, Lees-McRae put up a good fight and stayed in the game. M.J. Doyle and Sebastian Heer led the team, both accounting for seven kills. While the team was down for most of the game, the sideline kept their spirits high and never gave up.

“It was very eye-opening for us,” Lees-McRae head coach Sam Albus said. “We don’t see this level of physicality in our conference, so it’s a very valuable experience for us to start our season with this.”

Coach Pavlik also had positive remarks in regards to the Bobcats.

“I think when they [Lees-McRae] get back to Conference Carolinas, they’re gonna be a problem,” Pavlik said.

After two 25-17 set wins to close out the game, the dust finally settled and the Nittany Lions came out on top, sending the crowd in Rec Hall and the Wrecking Crew student section into a frenzy.

For the No. 7 Nittany Lions, they host King University this Saturday before heading on the road for the First Point Collegiate Challenge in Austin, Texas. The upcoming tournament will be a true test of the Nittany Lions’ strength as they will face ranked teams in it.

Ethan Ellis is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email ece5133@psu.edu.