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Penn State opens the week as the nation’s No. 2 team

After a massive upset win on Friday night, the Penn State Nittany Lions are your new No. 2 team.

Published

2 years ago

March 14, 2023

Jan 7, 2013; University Park, PA, USA; General view of the Penn State Nittany Lions logo inside the Bryce Jordan Center prior to the game between the Indiana Hoosiers and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

STATE COLLEGE, PA — On Friday night, the 3rd-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the 1st-ranked Hawaii Warriors, three sets to one, in Honolulu, HI. Now, after winning the Outrigger Invitational Tournament, Penn State men’s volleyball is the nation’s new No. 2 team.

Outrigger Invitational Champs! ?

All-Tournament ➡️ Kowal, Merk#WeAre pic.twitter.com/Ljoc4E6GmO

— Penn State Men’s Volleyball (@PennStateMVBALL) March 12, 2023

Penn State men’s volleyball ranked No. 1 in new polls

On Monday, the Penn State men’s volleyball team overtook the polls as the nation’s new No. 2 team. The Nittany Lions are 17-2 on the season (4-0 in conference play) and boast seven ranked wins thus far on the season. Within the month of March alone, Penn State men’s volleyball has two top-6 wins: at No. 6 UC Irvine (3-2) and at No. 1 Hawaii (3-1).

The Penn State Nittany Lions have eight more games (four home, four away) remaining on their 2023 schedule, including multiple ranked matchups. The Nittany Lions’ next game will be at home in Rec Hall against SFU before hosting No. 12 Ohio State on Tuesday. After facing the Buckeyes, Penn State hits the road for a harsh four-game road trip (at No. 25 Harvard and at No. 15 George Mason) before finishing off its regular season slate with a two-match series against No. 11 Charleston (WV).

Penn State’s new ranking comes as no surprise given its impeccable resume — the Nittany Lions broke Hawaii’s 25-match wining streak and gave the Warriors their first loss of the season in dominant fashion, winning three of the match’s four sets. The climb to the top is nearly complete, and now, Penn State must defend its new ranking.

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