Alderson Broaddus schedules big non-conference match vs. Penn State in 2018

Two teams that won conference championships last season will play each other in the upcoming season — one just has a slightly greater historical pedigree.

The defending IVA champions Alderson Broaddus as part of unveiling its 2018 schedule announced that it will play Penn State in an early-season non-conference road match.

This will be the first all-time meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Battlers. It also will be the third time Alderson Broaddus plays a projected nationally ranked team since transitioning to NCAA Division II.

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Alderson Broaddus finished last season winning the inaugural IVA Championship Tournament, a de-facto end of season tournament for NCAA Division I-II men’s volleyball teams without a conference affiliation. Among the starters returning for the Battlers includes opposite Justin Glader who was among the team leaders with a 2.54 kills per game average last season.

Penn State ended its one-year EIVA championship drought last year as it won the conference tournament for the 18th time in 20 years and advanced to the NCAA Tournament play-in match.

Setter Luke Braswell in his first season running the Penn State offense was selected to Off the Block/Springbak, Inc. Freshmen All-American Team. In addition, freshman opposite Calvin Mende returns for the Nittany Lions after earning All-EIVA honors and being among the conference leaders with a 3.25 kills per game average.

The match against Penn State will conclude a two-match Pennsylvania road trip for Alderson Broaddus. The team will travel to St. Francis for its road-opener on Jan. 12 before playing Penn State the following night.

These will be two of the Battlers’ seven matches versus EIVA teams in the upcoming season.

Alderson Broaddus will have a home-and-home series against its in-state rival Charleston, including playing their season-opener versus the Golden Eagles. It also will have a home-and-home series against Sacred Heart and travel to Harvard for a non-conference match on March 24.