Middle attacker Owen Rose had a performance like none other in Penn State’s 47-year program history.
Rose set the school’s single-match record with 14 blocks as No. 16 Penn State swept Harvard 25-11, 27-25, 25-15 on Friday in University Park, Pennsylvania.
The senior opened the conference match with six blocks in the first game, including having blocks on four consecutive plays during a 10-1 run. Rose also had six blocks in the final game highlighted with three blocks during a four-play span early in the game.
Rose entered this match leading the EIVA and in the nation’s top 15 with a 1.17 blocks per game average. In addition, the middle attacker has at least five blocks in all three of the Nittany Lions’ conference matches so far this season.
The previous single-match school record of 13 blocks had been achieved three times – Kevin Hourican in 1995, Keith Kowan in 2005 and Nate Meerstein in the 2006 NCAA Tournament semifinals.
Penn State as a team had season-high 17 blocks and held Harvard to a season-low negative-.137 attack percentage.
Along with the defensive performance, Rose had five kills and zero errors on a match-best .833 attack percentage. Rose also had the match-winning kill to secure the sweep in the opener of this two-match series.
Pin-hitter Sean Harvey contributed both a match-high seven kills and five aces against the Crimson.
Penn State finished the match with 11 aces – eight more aces than Harvard.
Harvard pin-hitters Zach Bearty and Owen Woolbert in the loss each had a team-high five kills. No Harvard player hit more than .300 and four players finished with a negative attack percentage.
Penn State with this victory remains undefeated in conference play and a half-match behind No. 19 NJIT for first place in the EIVA.