For the second time this month, Penn State men's volleyball had a title to celebrate.
The Nittany Lions claimed the EIVA Tournament Championship last weekend by besting George Mason in the title game, having already claimed the conference's regular season championship two weeks prior.
That was the highlight, but there's plenty to recap over the last week in Penn State sports, so let's get into it.
Penn State's 32nd EIVA Tournament championship came after the Nittany Lions handled No. 13 George Mason in the final. The Nittany Lions claimed the first two sets by the identical score of 25-20., but the Patriots fought back by winning a marathon third set 32-30 to keep their hopes alive. The Nittany Lions earned another decisive 25-20 victory in Set 4 to seal the win. Penn State bested Saint Francis 3-0 on Thursday to advance to the title game. Penn State will play Belmont Abbey College in a play-in match in the NCAA Tournament on Monday May 3 in Columbus.
Team Record: 21-3
For the first time this season, Penn State has won consecutive games. The Nittany Lions followed up their overtime win over Michigan with an equally tight, 10-9 victory on the road against Ohio State last week. The Nittany Lions tied the game up at 10 with 1:08 left via Dylan Foulds, who then scored the winner with 23 seconds on the clock. Penn State will play Johns Hopkins in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday. That game will air on BTN.
Team Record: 4-6
Penn State fell to Ohio State in overtime in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament last week, 4-3. It was Penn State's second consecutive overtime loss to the Buckeyes.The Nittany Lions did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament, and their season ends with a 7-7 record.
Team Record: 7-7
Penn State lost its second consecutive series last weekend, dropping two out of three games to Ohio State in Columbus. The Nittany Lions dropped the first two games of the series, 11-6 and 7-0, respectively. That extended Penn State's season-long losing streak to six games, before the Nittany Lions got back in the win column and avoided the sweep with a 10-6 victory on Sunday. The Nittany Lions will welcome Michigan State to Happy Valley for a three-game set this weekend.
Team Record: 9-18
It was also a rough week on the diamond for Penn State softball. After its series against Michigan State was canceled, Penn State lost three of four games to Maryland last weekend. Penn State dropped both ends of a Friday doubleheader, falling 11-1 and 1-0. They bounced back for a 1-0 win on Saturday, but fell 5-4 in walk-off fashion on Sunday. Penn State hosts Michigan for four games this weekend.
Team Record: 5-22
Penn State followed up its victory in the Rutherford Intercollegiate with a strong showing in the Kepler Intercollegiate last weekend in Columbus, finishing second in a field of 17. The Nittany Lions will now prepare for the Big Ten Championships, which begin Friday.
Team Record: N/A
Penn State finished 6th out of 13 teams at the Big Ten Championships in Cincinnati last weekend. It was Penn State's best finish since 2014. Sarah Willis was Penn State's best finisher, trying for sixth place. The Nittany Lions now await the NCAA Regionals, which begin on May 10.
Team Record: N/A
Penn State partook in the Big Ten Relays at Illinois over the weekend. The event winners for Penn State included Breana Gambrell (women's triple jump), Duane Kinsley (men's discus throw), Yasmin Brooks (women's 100-meter hurdles), Kathryn Munks (women's 5,000-meter run), Audra Koopman (women's long jump), Katie Jones (women's pole vault), Isaiah Claiborne (800-meter run), and Mark Porter (men's javelin). Penn State is heading to Ohio State to partake in the Jesse Owens Invite this weekend.
Team Record: N/A
Several other Penn State sports will begin postseason action this week after having last week off. Women's soccer begins its NCAA Tournament run against Alabama State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Men's tennis takes on Nebraska on Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament. Women's tennis also begins Big Ten Tournament play on Thursday, against either Indiana or Minnesota. Women's lacrosse will take on Johns Hopkins in the Big Ten quarterfinals Thursday night. On Sunday, men's soccer begins the NCAA Tournament against UMass.
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