Friday, January 16
Fort Wayne, Ind.
7 P.M.
Purdue Fort Wayne
vs
Saint Francis (Pa.)
Mastodons Set for Home Opening Weekend
1/15/2015 5:37:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The 13th ranked (American Volleyball Coaches Association) IPFW men's volleyball team is set to take on Saint Francis (Pa.) in its home opener on Friday, January 16 at 7 p.m. in the Gates center. The Mastodons also host No. 10 Penn State the following night at 7 p.m.
• The Mastodons are currently ranked No. 13 in the AVCA Top-15 Poll.
• Omar Rivera recorded his 3,000 assists at UC Santa Barbara, and now sits fifth all-time in IPFW with 3,004.
• IPFW and Penn State met in the NCAA Final Four in 1991 and 1992. The Mastodons won the 1991 meeting, 3-1, while the Nitanny Lions won the 1992 showdown, 3-0.
• The Mastodons are 10-21 all-time against the tenth-ranked team. IPFW is 2-2 all-time when playing No. 10 Penn State.
• IPFW is 5-3 all-time agaisnt St. Francis in Fort Wayne, while the 'Dons are 8-22 against Penn State when the match is in Fort Wayne.
• The Mastodons will play 13 matches with teams which were ranked or received votes in the AVCA Preseason Top-15 Poll, including two matches against defending NCAA champion Loyola-Chicago.
• Mastodon head coach Arnie Ball is in his final season wearing Blue and White before entering retirement. Ball has the third-most wins (553) among active coaches and the fifth-most overall. Ball was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2012.
Location: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center (2,000)
Live Stats: IPFW Sidearm Live Stats
Series History: IPFW leads 11-4
Last Meeting: IPFW 3, St. Francis (Pa.) 1 | January 18, 2014 | Loretto, Pa.
• The Mastodons are coming off a 1-2 west coast swing against then-No. 13 CSUN (W, 3-2), No. 5 UCLA (L, 1-3) and No. 4 UC Santa Barbara (L, 1-3).
• With 44 assists against the UC Santa Barbara, Omar Rivera reached the 3,000 assists plateau. He sits fifth all-time in IPFW history.
• Freshman Alex Harthaller made an immediate impact for the 'Dons, earning 30 kills, 18 digs, five aces, and five blocks through three matches.
• Mike Marshman leads the Red Flash with 14 kills, while Stephen Braswell sits second with 12.
• Mike Marshman leads St. Francis with seven blocks, while Jeff Hogan has recorded nine digs for the red Flash
Location: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center (2,000)
Live Stats: IPFW Sidearm Live Stats
Series History: 14-42
Last Meeting: IPFW 0, Penn State 3 | January 17, 2014 | University Park, Pa.
• Aaron Russell and Nick Goodman lead the Nittany Lions with 29 and 24 kills, respectively. Taylor Hammond has earned 57 assists for Penn State.
• Both Russell and Goodman lead PSU with 17 and 14 digs, respectively, while Matt Callaway has earned six total blocks.
Quick Hitters
• IPFW holds a home opener record of 20-14, including last season with a 3-0 sweep over Sacred Heart.• The Mastodons are currently ranked No. 13 in the AVCA Top-15 Poll.
• Omar Rivera recorded his 3,000 assists at UC Santa Barbara, and now sits fifth all-time in IPFW with 3,004.
• IPFW and Penn State met in the NCAA Final Four in 1991 and 1992. The Mastodons won the 1991 meeting, 3-1, while the Nitanny Lions won the 1992 showdown, 3-0.
• The Mastodons are 10-21 all-time against the tenth-ranked team. IPFW is 2-2 all-time when playing No. 10 Penn State.
• IPFW is 5-3 all-time agaisnt St. Francis in Fort Wayne, while the 'Dons are 8-22 against Penn State when the match is in Fort Wayne.
• The Mastodons will play 13 matches with teams which were ranked or received votes in the AVCA Preseason Top-15 Poll, including two matches against defending NCAA champion Loyola-Chicago.
• Mastodon head coach Arnie Ball is in his final season wearing Blue and White before entering retirement. Ball has the third-most wins (553) among active coaches and the fifth-most overall. Ball was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2012.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Friday, January 16 | 7 p.m.Location: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center (2,000)
Live Stats: IPFW Sidearm Live Stats
Series History: IPFW leads 11-4
Last Meeting: IPFW 3, St. Francis (Pa.) 1 | January 18, 2014 | Loretto, Pa.
SCOUTING THE MASTODONS
• IPFW begins its home slate with a 20-14 record all-time in home openers, including a 3-0 last season over Sacred Heart.• The Mastodons are coming off a 1-2 west coast swing against then-No. 13 CSUN (W, 3-2), No. 5 UCLA (L, 1-3) and No. 4 UC Santa Barbara (L, 1-3).
• With 44 assists against the UC Santa Barbara, Omar Rivera reached the 3,000 assists plateau. He sits fifth all-time in IPFW history.
• Freshman Alex Harthaller made an immediate impact for the 'Dons, earning 30 kills, 18 digs, five aces, and five blocks through three matches.
scouting the red flash
• St. Francis enters the match 0-4 after facing four ranked teams in the UCSB Invitational. IPFW will be the fifth-straight match of a ranked opponent for the Red Flash.• Mike Marshman leads the Red Flash with 14 kills, while Stephen Braswell sits second with 12.
• Mike Marshman leads St. Francis with seven blocks, while Jeff Hogan has recorded nine digs for the red Flash
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. ST. FRANCIS (PA.)
The Mastodons lead the all-time series 11-4 over the Red Flash, including a 3-1 win last season at St. Francis. Of the four losses to the Red Flash, three of them have occured in Fort Wayne. IPFW has won five of the last six matches against St. Francis and hold two separate four-match win streaks against the Red Flash.GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, January 17 | 7 p.m.Location: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Gates Sports Center (2,000)
Live Stats: IPFW Sidearm Live Stats
Series History: 14-42
Last Meeting: IPFW 0, Penn State 3 | January 17, 2014 | University Park, Pa.
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. PENN STATE
Penn State leads the all-time series 42-14, including a 3-0 sweep over the Mastodons last season on Jan. 17. IPFW's last win over Penn State was on March 9, 2013, after the 'Dons topped the Nittany Lions 3-2 in Fort Wayne. The Mastodon's longest win streak over Penn State was four matches between 1991-92, when both teams met five times, including the 1992 Final Four, when Penn State topped IPFW 3-0. Both teams met in the 1991 Final Four when the Mastodons earned a 3-1 win over the Nittany Lions.SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
• The tenth-ranked Penn State enters the weekend coming off losses to at Hawaii and against UC Irvine in the Fall Invitational. The Nittany Lions earned a berth in the NCAA Final Four, before falling to eventual champion Loyola-Chicago in the semifinals last season.• Aaron Russell and Nick Goodman lead the Nittany Lions with 29 and 24 kills, respectively. Taylor Hammond has earned 57 assists for Penn State.
• Both Russell and Goodman lead PSU with 17 and 14 digs, respectively, while Matt Callaway has earned six total blocks.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Volleyball
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