Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1464375
M A Y 2 0 2 2 51 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M MEN'S VOLLEYBALL: Ranked third in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, Penn State swept the New Jersey Institute of Technology on April 9 at Rec Hall, completing an undefeated regular-season home slate at 13-0. Senior opposite hitter Cal Fisher and sophomore middle blocker Toby Ezeonu each had 12 kills for the Nittany Lions, who improved to 22-3 over- all and 15-0 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Heading into their regular-season finale April 15 at Charleston, the Lions had won 18 consecutive matches, the team's longest winning streak since 2008. "They may not be the biggest team we've ever had, but they're mak- ing their mark as probably the most athletic team we've ever had," coach Mark Pavlik told GoPSUSports.com. "What they've done in the last two years ... and the improvement they've made physically and in their own individual games has been nothing short of outstanding. "The joy that they have in competing together is palpable. I've had more people tell me after matches that watching them play is so much fun. As long as we can keep our composure and understand that you have to deal with success just as much as you have to deal with failure, we're going to be in pretty good shape these last couple of weeks." As winners of the EIVA regular-season title, the Lions will play host to the league tournament April 21-23. BASEBALL: Junior left-hander Kellan Tulio and sophomore reliever Travis Luensmann combined to strike out 13 Northwestern batters in a 4-1 vic- tory over the Wildcats on April 9. But Penn State dropped the first game of the three-game series, as well as the finale, both on walk-off hits. Heading into an April 12 nonconference matchup against visiting West Virginia, the Lions were 12-17 overall and 3-6 in Big Ten play. MEN'S LACROSSE: The Nittany Lions held off Michigan on Senior Day, edging the visiting Wolverines 9-8 in overtime on April 8 on a goal by ju- nior midfielder Mac Costin. Michigan had battled back from a 7-2 deficit to send the game to over- time tied at eight goals apiece, but Costin's score just before the shot clock expired gave PSU a happy ending on a day when it honored 11 seniors. The Lions improved to 3-8 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play. WOMEN'S LACROSSE: Penn State got 13 saves from freshman goalie Ashley Bowan, but it wasn't enough to stave off a 13-6 road loss to ninth- ranked Maryland on April 7. Senior attacker Taylor Regan and freshman midfielder Brook Hoss had two goals apiece for the Lions. The loss was the fourth in a row for PSU, a skid that included a 17-6 setback against third-ranked Northwestern at Panzer Stadium on April 1. Heading into an April 12 nonconference matchup against Pitt, the Lions were 5-6 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play. MEN'S GYMNASTICS: Junior Chase Clingman dazzled the home crowd at Rec Hall at the Big Ten Championships, winning the pommel horse title April 2 with a personal-best score of 14.425. It was Penn State's fifth pom- mel horse title since joining the Big Ten. "Chase used his time over the summer to really get stronger," coach Randy Jepson said. "It's been evident in his work all year, but he hadn't re- ally broken through. He really gained confidence in the second half of the year. That routine is fitting him like a glove. He came out and rocked it." In addition to Clingman, sophomore Michael Jaroh was fifth in the all- around, freshman Josh Karnes second on the parallel bars and senior Nick Mock third on the pommel horse. In the team competition, Penn State finished fifth out of five teams, to- taling 395.800 points. MEN'S TRACK AND FIELD: Junior Luke Knipe set a Penn State record in the pole vault, clearing 5.33 meters (17 feet, 5.75 inches) on April 8 at the Miami Alumni Invitational. Knipe broke a record that had stood since 2009 when John Vellenoweth cleared 5.32 meters (17-5.5). FENCING: Penn State finished sixth at the NCAA Championships March 24-27 at Notre Dame, totaling 131 points at the event, which was won by the host Irish with 189 points. Four Nittany Lion fencers earned All-America honors: sophomore Kat- eryna Chorniy (third, women's epee), senior Ryan Griffiths (sixth, men's epee), sophomore Arwen Borowiak (seventh, men's foil) and freshman Kamar Skeete (eighth, men's saber). — Matt Herb O L Y M P I C S P O R T S R O U N D U P Coach Mark Pavlik has been in charge of the Penn State men's volleyball program since 1995. He has described this year's Nittany Lions as "probably the most athletic team we've ever had." PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS