Friday, March 15
Fort Wayne, Ind.
7 PM
Purdue Fort Wayne
vs
Penn State
Photo by: Jim Whitcraft
'Dons Break for Non-MIVA Matches This Weekend
3/14/2019 3:24:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - No. 13 Purdue Fort Wayne is set for two non-MIVA matches as Penn State and Saint Francis (Pa.) on Friday and Saturday (March 15-16).
Gameday Information vs Penn State
WHEN: Friday, March 15 | 7 p.m.
WHERE: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Arnie Ball Court
LIVE STATS: Purdue Fort Wayne Live Stats
LIVE VIDEO: Mastodon All-Access
LIVE AUDIO: Stretch Internet
Play-by-Play: Mike Maahs
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State leads 45-15
LAST MEETING: L, 3-1 (30-28, 19-25, 29-27, 25-15) | Feb. 3, 2018 | University Park, Pa.
Gameday Information vs Saint Francis
WHEN: Saturday, March 16 | 7 p.m.
WHERE: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Arnie Ball Court
LIVE STATS: Purdue Fort Wayne Live Stats
LIVE VIDEO: Mastodon All-Access
LIVE AUDIO: Stretch Internet
Play-by-Play: Mike Maahs
SERIES HISTORY: Purdue Fort Wayne leads 13-6
LAST MEETING: W, 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22) | Feb. 2, 2018 | Loretto, Pa.
Scouting Penn State (8-10, 5-2 EIVA)
The Nittany Lions are 8-10 this season, and have matchups on their schedule with every MIVA team except Quincy. The Mastodons are the sixth MIVA team on the schedule. Penn State has wins over Lindenwood and McKendree, and losses to Ohio State, Loyola and Lewis. PSU is led by Henrik Falck Lauten, who is averaging 2.61 kills per set, followed closely behind by Matthew McLaren with 2.59.
Scouting Saint Francis (11-8, 5-2 EIVA)
The Red Flash are 11-8 on the year and will have a match against Ball State before coming to Fort Wayne. Saint Francis has played three MIVA teams in Lindenwood, McKendree and Ohio State. SFU topped the Bearcats and Buckeyes, and lost to Lindenwood in five sets. The Red Flash are led by Michael Fisher who averages 4.83 kills per set.
Pelegrin Has Done a Little Bit of Everything
Pelegrin Vargas has earned all three Player of the Week honors: MIVA Offensive and Defensive and National Player of the Week. He is the only player in the MIVA to earn all three this season. He is also the first MIVA athlete to earn MIVA Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks since Darryl Shank did in 2011.
Richie's Player of the Week
Richie Diedrich won MIVA Defensive Player of the Week on March 12, which was his second honor of the season. He earned the recognition after seven blocks against Quincy, which averaged to 2.33 per set. He is the only player in the MIVA to earn the defensive honor twice.
Moving Up the Rankings
Michael Keegan has 3,160 career assists, putting him in fifth place in program history after passing Dennis Santiago at Lewis on February 16. Phil Bodine is next on the list in fourth; he had 3,188 assists from 1985-88.
That's a Lot of Assists!
With Michael Keegan's 3,160 career assists, he is third in the nation among active players in that category. He trails only Josh Tuaniga of Long Beach State who has 4,048 and Micah Ma'a of UCLA with 3,318.
He Doesn't Make Mistakes
Austin Neace ranks fourth in program history in career reception percentage (min. 100 receptions) at .965. He has only 11 errors on 316 receptions in his four years with the Mastodons.
Hi, My Name Is Colton and I'll Be Your Server
Colton Stone is averaging 0.475 aces per set, which is good enough for third in the MIVA, behind just Matt Yoshimoto and Kyle Bugee of Lewis. Stone had a career-high four aces against McKendree on Feb. 8.
Richie Can Block!
Richie Diedrich has had eight blocks in two matches so far this season, both matched his career-high set against No. 12 George Mason in 2017. This season, the junior had eight blocks at Queens in three sets and at No. 8 Stanford in four. He also had six or more blocks in the Mastodons' wins over Ohio State, Ball State and Quincy. His average of 1.083 blocks per set is fourth in the MIVA.
Digging Up Elite Company
Kolbie Knorr is averaging 1.98 digs per set in his career as a Mastodon, which is 10th in program history. He has had at least 10 digs in four matches this season.
In the Top 15
Purdue Fort Wayne is in the AVCA Top 15 Coaches Poll this week, coming in at No. 13. The 'Dons have been ranked in the poll for 300 weeks since its inception in 1986.
Elite Mastodons
The Mastodons have not fallen to an opponent outside of the AVCA Top 15 Coaches Poll since April 1, 2017. The 'Dons are 26-0 against unranked teams since that date.
Only One Team Has Three...
There is only one team in the country that has three players on the current roster that have earned a Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week. That team? Purdue Fort Wayne. Tony Price won the honor in 2018, while Michael Keegan and Pelegrin Vargas each earned the accolade this season. There are only nine other programs that have ever had three players honorees on the same roster.
Last Time Out
The 'Dons swept Quincy on Arnie Ball Court, picking up their third straight 3-0 victory.
Next Time Up
Purdue Fort Wayne will welcome Lewis and Loyola to Arnie Ball Court on March 21 and 23.
Gameday Information vs Penn State
WHEN: Friday, March 15 | 7 p.m.
WHERE: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Arnie Ball Court
LIVE STATS: Purdue Fort Wayne Live Stats
LIVE VIDEO: Mastodon All-Access
LIVE AUDIO: Stretch Internet
Play-by-Play: Mike Maahs
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State leads 45-15
LAST MEETING: L, 3-1 (30-28, 19-25, 29-27, 25-15) | Feb. 3, 2018 | University Park, Pa.
Gameday Information vs Saint Francis
WHEN: Saturday, March 16 | 7 p.m.
WHERE: Fort Wayne, Ind. | Arnie Ball Court
LIVE STATS: Purdue Fort Wayne Live Stats
LIVE VIDEO: Mastodon All-Access
LIVE AUDIO: Stretch Internet
Play-by-Play: Mike Maahs
SERIES HISTORY: Purdue Fort Wayne leads 13-6
LAST MEETING: W, 3-1 (25-21, 25-23, 23-25, 25-22) | Feb. 2, 2018 | Loretto, Pa.
Scouting Penn State (8-10, 5-2 EIVA)
The Nittany Lions are 8-10 this season, and have matchups on their schedule with every MIVA team except Quincy. The Mastodons are the sixth MIVA team on the schedule. Penn State has wins over Lindenwood and McKendree, and losses to Ohio State, Loyola and Lewis. PSU is led by Henrik Falck Lauten, who is averaging 2.61 kills per set, followed closely behind by Matthew McLaren with 2.59.
Scouting Saint Francis (11-8, 5-2 EIVA)
The Red Flash are 11-8 on the year and will have a match against Ball State before coming to Fort Wayne. Saint Francis has played three MIVA teams in Lindenwood, McKendree and Ohio State. SFU topped the Bearcats and Buckeyes, and lost to Lindenwood in five sets. The Red Flash are led by Michael Fisher who averages 4.83 kills per set.
Pelegrin Has Done a Little Bit of Everything
Pelegrin Vargas has earned all three Player of the Week honors: MIVA Offensive and Defensive and National Player of the Week. He is the only player in the MIVA to earn all three this season. He is also the first MIVA athlete to earn MIVA Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks since Darryl Shank did in 2011.
Richie's Player of the Week
Richie Diedrich won MIVA Defensive Player of the Week on March 12, which was his second honor of the season. He earned the recognition after seven blocks against Quincy, which averaged to 2.33 per set. He is the only player in the MIVA to earn the defensive honor twice.
Moving Up the Rankings
Michael Keegan has 3,160 career assists, putting him in fifth place in program history after passing Dennis Santiago at Lewis on February 16. Phil Bodine is next on the list in fourth; he had 3,188 assists from 1985-88.
That's a Lot of Assists!
With Michael Keegan's 3,160 career assists, he is third in the nation among active players in that category. He trails only Josh Tuaniga of Long Beach State who has 4,048 and Micah Ma'a of UCLA with 3,318.
He Doesn't Make Mistakes
Austin Neace ranks fourth in program history in career reception percentage (min. 100 receptions) at .965. He has only 11 errors on 316 receptions in his four years with the Mastodons.
Hi, My Name Is Colton and I'll Be Your Server
Colton Stone is averaging 0.475 aces per set, which is good enough for third in the MIVA, behind just Matt Yoshimoto and Kyle Bugee of Lewis. Stone had a career-high four aces against McKendree on Feb. 8.
Richie Can Block!
Richie Diedrich has had eight blocks in two matches so far this season, both matched his career-high set against No. 12 George Mason in 2017. This season, the junior had eight blocks at Queens in three sets and at No. 8 Stanford in four. He also had six or more blocks in the Mastodons' wins over Ohio State, Ball State and Quincy. His average of 1.083 blocks per set is fourth in the MIVA.
Digging Up Elite Company
Kolbie Knorr is averaging 1.98 digs per set in his career as a Mastodon, which is 10th in program history. He has had at least 10 digs in four matches this season.
In the Top 15
Purdue Fort Wayne is in the AVCA Top 15 Coaches Poll this week, coming in at No. 13. The 'Dons have been ranked in the poll for 300 weeks since its inception in 1986.
Elite Mastodons
The Mastodons have not fallen to an opponent outside of the AVCA Top 15 Coaches Poll since April 1, 2017. The 'Dons are 26-0 against unranked teams since that date.
Only One Team Has Three...
There is only one team in the country that has three players on the current roster that have earned a Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week. That team? Purdue Fort Wayne. Tony Price won the honor in 2018, while Michael Keegan and Pelegrin Vargas each earned the accolade this season. There are only nine other programs that have ever had three players honorees on the same roster.
Last Time Out
The 'Dons swept Quincy on Arnie Ball Court, picking up their third straight 3-0 victory.
Next Time Up
Purdue Fort Wayne will welcome Lewis and Loyola to Arnie Ball Court on March 21 and 23.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
Players Mentioned
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OH
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OH
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OPP
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OH
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Tuesday, March 11
PFW vs Thomas More (Mens Volleyball)
Friday, March 07
PFW vs Lindenwood (Mens Volleyball)
Friday, February 28
PFW vs Queens (Mens Volleyball)
Thursday, February 13
