FREDERICK, Md. – The men's volleyball team hung with Penn State Altoona early in sets but momentum would sway in the direction of the Nittany Lions as Hood would fall 3-0 in Woodsboro Bank Arena on Wednesday night.
Set Scores
The Nittany Lions won the sets 25-18, 25-18 and 25-19
Inside the Box Score
Charles Casas (Rehoboth Beach, Del./Cape Henlopen High School) had 11 kills on the day.
Gael Bravo (Lanham, Md./Bowie High School) had nine assists and seven digs.
Sean Seely (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage High School) had two service aces.
How it Happened
In the first set, Seely and Casas got a rhythm early with help from
Cameron Nugent (Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional) on the set and put PSU Altoona in tough spots to make plays. A variety of Blazers to get the call to kill and kept the match at a one-point difference. The Nittany Lions would take a five-point run in two bunches due to the attack of Caleb Fries and Jack McKenna.
In set two, the Blazers showed versatility around the net. Casas didn't have to earn the kill via a mighty strike, but a quick redirect to find open space. Seely made his dough with a back-to-back kills early in the set. Altoona's height remained prevalent with attacks redirected to the back line and the rotation on the attack finishing the job.
In the final set, the Blazers fought elimination by trading scores with PSU Altoona. A fake set and attack by the Nittany Lion's Tamashiro at the 10-9 mark looked to sway the set their way but a long rally and then kill by Casa kept the set in check. Down the stretch the opposition got hot at the service line and the force of Sandowski created a six-point gap that Hood would not be able to overcome.
Analysis
The Nittany Lions had the advantage at the service line at 9-2.
For the Opponent
Jacob Sandowski had two aces and two blocks on the night.
Up Next
The squad will host No. 16 Misericordia and unranked Marymount on Saturday, February 22 for a tri-match with matches at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. in Woodsboro Bank
