Penn State Nittany Lions men's volleyball
Encyclopedia
Penn State has had a long tradition with their men's volleyball
program. Founded in 1976 by Tom Tait, Tait coached the team from 1976–1989, and was named a USA Volleyball
All-Time great coach in 2007.
Mark Pavlik has been the head coach since 1995 after serving as an assistant coach for five years. He has led the team to every EIVA conference championship since 1995 with the exception of 1998. Under his guidance, Penn State finished as NCAA runner-ups in 1995 and 2006 before winning it all in 2008. He also led the team to an NCAA record of 11 straight (1998–2009) NCAA final four appearances. Pavlik was awarded his first ever AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2008.
this year. Current head coach Mark Pavlik was a setter on the team. Penn State was swept by perennial powerhouse UCLA
in the final at Rec Hall
, led by future Olympic
gold medalist and Most Outstanding Player Karch Kiraly
.
university to win the men's volleyball championship. Playing in Fort Wayne, Indiana
, the Lions defeated defending NCAA champion UCLA in a five-set match. After falling behind 2 sets to 1, UCLA looked to have the championship in their hands after being up 11-4 in the fourth set, needing to only get to 15. However, the Lions mounted a stunning comeback and went on a 11-1 run to take set four 15-12 and set five with the same score to win the national championship. It was then-head coach Tom Peterson's last year.
was named the AVCA National Player of the Year, the first ever east coast player to win the award.
in five games. Despite the successful semifinal result, Penn State lost to UCLA in the national championship.
In the early 2008 season, Penn State swept UCLA for the first time since 1991, and also defeated west coast powers Hawai'i, Cal Baptist
and Long Beach State. Penn State only lost one match in the regular season to George Mason
, but got revenge on the Patriots
in the EIVA tournament finals, securing their bid for their NCAA record 10th consecutive final four appearance. Penn State improved to 55-3 all time in the EIVA championship.
Penn State was the top seed in the final four, the first time in the history of the men's volleyball tournament that a non-west coast university was the top seed. The final four was held in Irvine, California
at the Bren Events Center
from May 1–3. After defeating Ohio State in the semifinals, Penn State met Pepperdine
in the final. After dropping the first game, Penn State went on to win the next three to defeat the Waves in four games. Matt Anderson
, the AVCA National Player of the Year, was named the Most Outstanding Player and also was an AVCA First Team All-American. Four other Penn State players were named All-Americans.
Pepperdine head coach Marv Dunphy
said earlier in the NCAA tournament that the 2008 Penn State men's volleyball team was the best men's volleyball team to ever come out of the east or midwest.
On July 1, 2008, Matt Anderson announced he would forgo his 2009 senior year to play professionally in Korea.
** denotes First Team selection
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
program. Founded in 1976 by Tom Tait, Tait coached the team from 1976–1989, and was named a USA Volleyball
USA Volleyball
USA Volleyball is a non-profit organization which serves as the national governing body of volleyball in the United States of America ....
All-Time great coach in 2007.
Mark Pavlik has been the head coach since 1995 after serving as an assistant coach for five years. He has led the team to every EIVA conference championship since 1995 with the exception of 1998. Under his guidance, Penn State finished as NCAA runner-ups in 1995 and 2006 before winning it all in 2008. He also led the team to an NCAA record of 11 straight (1998–2009) NCAA final four appearances. Pavlik was awarded his first ever AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2008.
1982
Penn State made their first ever NCAA Championship matchNCAA Men's Volleyball Championship
The NCAA Men's Volleyball Championship is the tournament that determines the national championship of American college volleyball.The "Final Four" is a term used exclusively by NCAA Basketball but is commonly used to describe the Men's Volleyball Championship...
this year. Current head coach Mark Pavlik was a setter on the team. Penn State was swept by perennial powerhouse UCLA
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
in the final at Rec Hall
Rec Hall
Recreation Building, or Rec Hall as it is more commonly known, is a field house located on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University. It was opened on January 15, 1929 and is still in use. Previously, Penn State's indoor sports teams played in a building known as the Armory,...
, led by future Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medalist and Most Outstanding Player Karch Kiraly
Karch Kiraly
Charles Frederick "Karch" Kiraly , is an American volleyball player who is the only person to have won Olympic gold medals in both the indoor and beach versions of the sport.-High school career:...
.
1994
1994 was a historic year, as Penn State became the first non-CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
university to win the men's volleyball championship. Playing in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, the Lions defeated defending NCAA champion UCLA in a five-set match. After falling behind 2 sets to 1, UCLA looked to have the championship in their hands after being up 11-4 in the fourth set, needing to only get to 15. However, the Lions mounted a stunning comeback and went on a 11-1 run to take set four 15-12 and set five with the same score to win the national championship. It was then-head coach Tom Peterson's last year.
1997
Penn State got back to the final four, losing to UCLA in a five-set match in the semifinals. Senior Ivan ContrerasIvan Contreras
Gerardo Iván Contreras Gámez is a Mexican professional volleyball player. He currently plays for Knack Roeselare in Belgium . His position on the field is outside hitter. Contreras has been voted player of the year in 2005 and 2007 in Belgium...
was named the AVCA National Player of the Year, the first ever east coast player to win the award.
2006
After eight straight years of making the NCAA final four and losing in the semifinals, Penn State finally broke through. They defeated top ranked and top-seeded UC Irvine in the semifinals at Rec HallRec Hall
Recreation Building, or Rec Hall as it is more commonly known, is a field house located on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University. It was opened on January 15, 1929 and is still in use. Previously, Penn State's indoor sports teams played in a building known as the Armory,...
in five games. Despite the successful semifinal result, Penn State lost to UCLA in the national championship.
2008
California Baptist University
California Baptist University is a private, Christian, liberal arts university located in Riverside, California, United States. Originally founded in 1950 as California Baptist College, it is controlled by the California Southern Baptist Convention, an organization affiliated with the Southern...
and Long Beach State. Penn State only lost one match in the regular season to George Mason
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
, but got revenge on the Patriots
George Mason Patriots
The George Mason Patriots are the athletic teams of George Mason University. The school's athletic program includes 22 NCAA Division I varsity sports, consisting of 11 men's and 11 women's teams...
in the EIVA tournament finals, securing their bid for their NCAA record 10th consecutive final four appearance. Penn State improved to 55-3 all time in the EIVA championship.
Penn State was the top seed in the final four, the first time in the history of the men's volleyball tournament that a non-west coast university was the top seed. The final four was held in Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
at the Bren Events Center
Bren Events Center
Donald Bren Events Center is a 4,984-seat, indoor multi-purpose stadium, on the campus of the University of Irvine, in California.-Construction and history:...
from May 1–3. After defeating Ohio State in the semifinals, Penn State met Pepperdine
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
in the final. After dropping the first game, Penn State went on to win the next three to defeat the Waves in four games. Matt Anderson
Matt Anderson (volleyball)
Matthew John Anderson is an American professional volleyball player. Anderson was an All-American outside hitter at Penn State for three years.-Personal:...
, the AVCA National Player of the Year, was named the Most Outstanding Player and also was an AVCA First Team All-American. Four other Penn State players were named All-Americans.
Pepperdine head coach Marv Dunphy
Marv Dunphy
Marv Dunphy is an American former volleyball player and is currently the Head Men’s Volleyball Coach at Pepperdine University. During his tenure, Pepperdine has won five NCAA Division I Championships. Dunphy holds a career record of 507-199 ....
said earlier in the NCAA tournament that the 2008 Penn State men's volleyball team was the best men's volleyball team to ever come out of the east or midwest.
On July 1, 2008, Matt Anderson announced he would forgo his 2009 senior year to play professionally in Korea.
All-Americans
For the men's volleyball program, 24 players have earned 36 All-America honors, including 14 selections to First Team.| Year | All-Americans |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Scott Miller, Jorge Perez |
| 1993 | David Muir |
| 1994 | Ramon Hernandez Ramón Hernández (beach volleyball player) Ramón "Moncho" Hernández Cruz is a beach volleyball player from Puerto Rico, who won the bronze medal in the men's beach team competition at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, partnering Raul Papaleo. He represented his native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in... **, Ivan Contreras Ivan Contreras Gerardo Iván Contreras Gámez is a Mexican professional volleyball player. He currently plays for Knack Roeselare in Belgium . His position on the field is outside hitter. Contreras has been voted player of the year in 2005 and 2007 in Belgium... |
| 1995 | Ivan Contreras**, Carlos Ortiz**, Ed Josefoski |
| 1996 | Ivan Contreras**, Kevin Hourican |
| 1997 | Ivan Contreras**, Jason Kepner |
| 2001 | Jose Quinones** |
| 2002 | Jose Quinones**, Zelimir Koljesar, Ricky Mattei, Zach Slenker |
| 2003 | Carlos Guerra, Keith Kowal |
| 2004 | Keith Kowal**, Ricky Mattei |
| 2005 | Keith Kowal, Nate Meerstein, Matt Proper |
| 2006 | Matt Proper |
| 2007 | Matt Anderson Matt Anderson (volleyball) Matthew John Anderson is an American professional volleyball player. Anderson was an All-American outside hitter at Penn State for three years.-Personal:... |
| 2008 | Matt Anderson**, Max Holt**, Dennis Del Valle, Max Lipsitz, Luke Murray |
| 2009 | Max Holt**, Max Lipsitz**, Will Price**, Dennis Del Valle, Edgardo Goas |
| 2010 | Max Lipsitz**, Dennis Del Valle |
National awards
Pavlik has earned one National Coach of the Year award, while former head coach Tom Peterson got the accolade once as well. Two Penn State players have been named Player of the Year.| Year | National Coach of the Year | National Player of the Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Tom Peterson | |
| 1997 | Ivan Contreras Ivan Contreras Gerardo Iván Contreras Gámez is a Mexican professional volleyball player. He currently plays for Knack Roeselare in Belgium . His position on the field is outside hitter. Contreras has been voted player of the year in 2005 and 2007 in Belgium... |
|
| 2008 | Mark Pavlik | Matt Anderson Matt Anderson (volleyball) Matthew John Anderson is an American professional volleyball player. Anderson was an All-American outside hitter at Penn State for three years.-Personal:... |