Penn State Update: 5/9/2009

• The men's volleyball team captured another EIVA title last Saturday when they knocked off Juniata. This is the teams 21st conference title. The win got them into the national semifinals, which were held in Provo, Utah this year. The team, seeded #3, faced #2 seed USC. The Trojans got the best of the Nittany Lions, 3-1, and advanced to the national championship game. Penn State, the 2008 National Champions, failed to defend their title. It was another stellar year by the guys nonetheless.
• Last weekend the track and field team was in Columbus, OH for the Jesse Owens Classic. There Megan Duncan, Mike Cadau, Hanif Johnson, John Mahoney, and the 4x400 meter relay team earned bids to the NCAA Regionals. Today the team is back in State College for the Penn State Open. This coming Friday is the start of the Big Ten Championships.
• The softball team participated in a double header last Saturday at University Park, splitting the games with Indiana. The Hoosiers took the opener, 4-3, but Penn State won the night cap 9-1 in six innings. The team has another double header today at Ohio State. These two games are the final regular season matchups before the NCAA Regionals start next weekend.
• After losing the opener to Michigan State last Friday, the Penn State baseball team dropped the next two games to the Spartans completing the sweep. After the demoralizing sweep the team traveled south to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes. The Nittany Lions got back on track in the opener last night, defeating Iowa 8-6. The team continues their series with the Hawkeyes today and it concludes tomorrow.
• The women's lacrosse team played in the ALC Championship last Saturday against #1 Northwestern. The juggernaut that is the Wildcats vanquished our ladies 13-3. Northwestern went 19-0 this season and is getting ready to try and win their 5th straight National Championship. The postseason tournament begins tomorrow. Look for a finals showdown between the Wildcats and Maryland, who also went 19-0 in the regular season.
• The men's lacrosse team beat Georgetown, 12-10, last Saturday to finish the regular season with a record of 9-5 on the strength of six consecutive victories. Unfortunately the third place finish in the ECAC was not good enough to make the National Tournament.
• When we left our men's golf team last weekend they were tied for sixth place at the Big Ten Championships on their home turf. They fell back to ninth on Saturday but marched back to finish in a tie for fourth at the conclusion on Sunday. They are off until Thursday when the NCAA Regionals begin.
  

Penn State Update - 5/2/2009

I missed last week's Penn State update due to the NFL draft but I'm back this week to give you the lowdown on all Nittany Lion athletes not running around for Joe Paterno.

• Since my last update, the men's volleyball team has stretched their winning streak to 11 matches. The defeated Ohio State in the regular season finale and George Mason in the EIVA Championship opener. The team, ranked 5th in the nation, plays Juniata tonight for the EIVA Championship. Regardless of the outcome of that match, the team is off to Provo, UT for the NCAA Championships which start Thursday and conclude next Saturday.
• Last weekend were the Penn Relays where the track and field team put on a stellar show. Today is the Jesse Owens Classic in Columbus, OH. Next Saturday is their last regular season event, the Penn State Open.
• The men's tennis teams three match win streak came to an end on April 19 when they lost, 5-2, to Northwestern in the regular season finale. The Big Ten Tournament started on Thursday and the Nittany Lions easily dispatched Purdue 4-0 in Ann Arbor, MI. Unfortunately the next day the team was swept by Illinois. Next weekend are the NCAA Regionals.
• The women concluded their regular season with two straight match losses at Wisconsin and at Northwestern, running their losing streak to five. The Big Ten Tournament began - and ended - for them on Thursday. The team fell to Minnesota, 4-0, in Madison, WI. Their season is over.
• The men's lacrosse team has extended their winning streak to five games after defeating Rutgers 9-4 on April 18 and St. Joseph's 17-6 on April 25. They play at Georgetown todat at 1 PM in the regular season finale.
• The women's lacrosse team started a wins treak of their own on April 19 when they hosted and vanquished Ohio State, 13-9. Last weekend they traveled to Johns Hopkins and won 12-11. Last night, in the American Lacrosse Conference Championships, the women beat Ohio State once more (11-7). Today the women play #1 Northwestern at 2 PM for the Championship. The ALC Championship are being played at Penn State this year. Home field advantage! Regardless of today's result, the women will travel somewhere next Sunday for the first round of the NCAA Championships.
• The men's golf team lead at the Boilermaker Invitational after one day of play but fell to, and finished in, second when all was said and done on April 19. Yesterday the Big Ten Championships began. After one day of play the team is tied for 6th. Play resumes today and concludes tomorrow.
• The women's golf team finished day one of the Lady Buckeye tied for 9th and finished in the same spot on the 19th of April. Last weekend, while I was home in Sinking Spring, PA, the women were here in West Lafayette, IN for the Big Ten Championships. The team was last reported to be in 11th place. Not good. Next weekend are the NCAA Regional Championships.
• After beating Indiana on April 17th the baseball started to slide. They lost five straight between April 18 and April 26, two to Indiana and all three to Illinois. They beat La Salle on April 29 but were absolutely hammered by Michigan State last night, 12-1. They continue their series with Michigan State today and tomorrow at 1:05 PM. Including the two remaining games versus Michigan State the team has only nine games left on their regular season schedule.
• The softball team had a double header at Minnesota on April 18th and the teams traded 1-0 victories. The team then split their two game series at Maryland before being swept by Purdue (2-0, 3-2). They had a double header this past Wednesday at Michigan State. The ladies took the opener 6-3 but fell in the night cap 3-2. They host Indiana today in a double header and conclude their regular season next Saturday.

Penn State Update - 4/18/2009

• The softball team, fresh off of a 2-game sweep of Iowa the previous weekend, took both games from Wisconsin last weekend. They ran their winning streak to 5 games by beating Kent State on Tuesday. They lost the first game of their double-header versus St. Francis (PA) on Thursday but won the night cap. They start a 2-game series at Minnesota today. The softball team now has a record of 10-14 on the season.
• After dropping the first game against Purdue last Friday night, the baseball team bounced back and beat the Boilermakers on Saturday, 11-9. They lost the final game of the series on Sunday, 9-3. The match versus Pittsburgh was canceled on Tuesday due to rain. They returned to the field Wednesday and beat Mount St. Mary's, 8-3. Last night they began a 3-game series at Indiana. The Nittany Lions took the first game 9-7. They play this afternoon and finish up tomorrow. The baseball team is 21-14 for the season.
• The women's golf team is currently competing in the Lady Buckeye tournament in Columbus, OH.
• Last weekend the men's golf team competed in the Kepler Intercollegiate. They stood in 12th place at the end of the day on Saturday and worked their way up a spot for an overall 11th finished on Sunday. This weekend they are here with me in West Lafayette, IN competing in the Boilermaker Invitational.
• The women's gymnastics team placed 5th out of 6th teams in their NCAA Championships session and failed to reach the NCAA Finals. They posted a team score of 196.10. Oklahoma finished in 1st with a score of 197.45. Penn State secured three individual All-America awards. Freshman Whitney Bencsko (vault) junior Alexandra Brockway (bars), and junior Brandi Personett (floor) all gained First Team honors. Bencsko also earned a Second Team All-American designation for her floor exercise. The three First Team All-Americans are competing in the individual National Championships today in Lincoln, NE.
• The men's gymnastics team finished 4th in their qualifying session. Unfortunately only the top 3 teams in each session advance to the team finals. This is the first time since 2002 that Penn State will not be in play for the National Title. Top gymnasts Casey Sandy Noam Shaham, Allen Harris, Nick Virbitsky, Josh Borromeo, Matt Greenfield, and Warren Yang all competed in individual events however. Only Casey Sandy did enough last night to advance to any finals, being held today. Sandy finished 9th in the vault and will compete for a National Title today. His finish also guarantees him an All-American designation, the 8th of his career.
• The women's lacrosse team was pounded last Sunday by #1 Northwestern, 17-6. They host Ohio State tomorrow.
• The men's lacrosse team squeaked by St. Johns by a score of 12-11 last weekend. They play at Rutgers this morning.
• The women's tennis team lost to #36 Illinois last Sunday, 7-0. They play at Wisconsin today and at Northwestern tomorrow. These are their final matches before the Big Ten Tournament.
• The men's tennis team lost by the same score to #11 Illinois last Saturday. They also dropped their match versus Indiana on Sunday, 4-3. They returned to University Park and beat Bucknell and Bloomsberg 7-0 on Wednesday. Last night they downed #30 Wisconsin 5-2. They are currently hosting Northwestern in their final match before their Big Ten Tournament.
• The Bison Outdoor Classic was last weekend and the Penn State track and field team was there. After competition concluded on Sunday, Penn Staters accounted for 14 victories and another 5 athletes qualified for the NCAAs later this spring. Today the team is in Auburn, AL for the War Eagle Invite. The Penn Relays in Philadelphia start on Thursday.
• The men's volleyball team stretched their winning streak to 9 games with wins last Saturday at George Mason (3-0) and then last night at Ball State (3-0). The team plays at Ohio State tonight and hopes to extend their W streak to double digits, which would match their season high. This is the final match of the regular season. The EIVA Championships take place starting Thursday at Penn State. After last nights victory the defending National Champions have a record of 24-3.
• The wrestling has been done with competition for a month. However there is a regime change that has just been completed. Legendary wrestler Cael Sanderson has accepted the head coaching job for the Nittany Lions. Sanderson will be Penn State's 12th coach. Sanderson, 29, is leaving his alma mater (Iowa State) where he has lead the Cyclones for the past three seasons. In his three seasons he led the Cyclones to 3 straight Big 12 Conference Championships. Sanderson compiled q 159-0 record as a collegiate wrestler from 1999-2002 and won 4 individual championships plus numerous other awards and honors. This is a huge signing for Penn State. Good things are on the horizon for an underachieving wrestling program.

Penn State Update - 4/11/2009

• The men's volleyball team, ranked 7th nationally, defeated NJIT and Princeton to extend their record to 22-3. Their win over NJIT clinched the Lions 25th EIVA regular season title. They play at George Mason tonight.
  
• The track and field team competed in the Jim Click Shootout last weekend and are participating in the Bison Outdoor Classic today.
• The women's tennis team beat Michigan State last Saturday, 4-3. Unfortunately they fell to Michigan on Sunday, 7-0, and Indiana yesterday, 6-1. They host Illinois tomorrow.
• The men's tennis team lost to Michigan last Saturday but Michigan State on Sunday. They play at Illinois today and at Indiana tomorrow.
• After eight straight losses the softball team is finally back to their winning ways. The team took down Iowa twice last Saturday, 1-0 and 2-1. It was their first win since March 14. They host Wisconsin today and tomorrow.
• The baseball team took two of three from Michigan last weekend, winning the first game of the double header on Saturday 6-4. They dropped the night cap, 9-5, but won on Sunday, 16-5. They squeaked by Bucknell on Wednesday, 12-11, but lost the opener to Purdue last night, 6-4. The three game set continues today and concludes tomorrow.
• The Penn State women's lacrosse team dropped both of their matches in the ACC/ALC Challenge last weekend. They lost to #2 Maryland, 20-12, on Friday and then to #4 North Carolina, 11-7, on Sunday. The team beat Lehigh on Wednesday, 14-10. They play at #1 Northwestern tomorrow. Wow, what a schedule.
• The men's lacrosse team improved their record to 5-5 this past week. They beat Hobart on Saturday and Bucknell on Tuesday. They host St. Johns today.
• The women's gymnastics team finished in 2nd place in the Regional Championships last Saturday and earned a spot in the National Championships, which start this Thursday. This is the women's first trip to nationals since 2005. Good luck ladies!
• The men's gymnastics team will be competing in their National Championships starting Thursday as well.
• The women's golf team finished in 5th place at the Canes and Cardinals Classic last weekend. Their next competition is the Lady Buckeye Tournament in Columbus next weekend.
• This weekend the men's golf team has an event for the first time in nearly a month. The guys are in Columbus, OH for the Kepler Intercollegiate. Next weekend they come to West Lafayette, IN for the Boilermaker Invitational.

Penn State Update - 4/4/2009

• Penn State baseball lost to Ohio State again last Saturday, 12-2, after falling Friday night 8-3. They sought revenge on Sunday and got it with a 15-11 win. They then beat Bucknell on Monday but lost to Kent State Wednesday. Rain postponed the series opener versus Michigan last night. The teams will play a double header today in Ann Arbor and complete the three game series tomorrow. The team is 15-11.
  
• The Penn State softball team remains in a funk, dropping another four games this last week. Their last win came way back on March 14 versus Arizona. They dropped two games a piece to Northwestern and Michigan. Their record has fallen to 9-18. They travel to Iowa City for a two game series versus the Hawkeyes today and tomorrow.
• The men's gymnastics team has been off for two weeks but starting last night they are in Ann Arbor, MI for the Big Ten Championships. The team events took place yesterday and Penn State finished a disappointing 5th. Individual events are today.
• The women have been off fore the last two weeks too but tonight their season is on the line. They are in Raleigh, NC for the NCAA Regional Championships. The top two teams advance to Lincoln, NE for the NCAA Championships in two weeks. Good luck ladies!
• The men's lacrosse team dropped a heart breaker to Massachusetts last Saturday, 9-8. They host Hobart this afternoon. The team is 3-5 thus far.
• The women's lacrosse team snapped their four game losing streak last weekend when they defeated William & Mary 14-12. They played #2 Maryland last night in Columbus and lost 20-12. They play #4 North Carolina tomorrow morning. The team is 5-5.
• The men's tennis team secured a win last Sunday versus Iowa, taking the match 4-3. Their next four matches are all Big Ten contests on the road, starting today in Ann Arbor. Their record is 9-8.
• The women's tennis team also defeated Iowa by the same score last weekend. It was the teams 4th victory of the year. They host four straight Big Ten matchups starting today versus Michigan State.
• The Track & Field team is in Tucson, AZ for the Jim Click Shootout.
• The men's volleyball team swept Mount Olive, 3-0, last Saturday in State College.It is the teams 20th win on the season and 5th straight. They are in Newark, NJ today for a game versus NJIT.
• As has been documented at the site a few times over the last week, the men's basketball team completed their epic run in the NIT. They dispatched Notre Dame on Tuesday, 67-59, and then beat Baylor, 69-63, to capture the teams second ever postseason title. Following the NIT Championship, Talor Battle's younger brother, Taran Buie, committed to Penn State. Buie is the nation's 37th ranked prospect for 2010. [Nittany White Out, Zombie Nation, Black Shoe Diaries, Nittanydelphia, and Crispin and Cream]

Congratulations once again to the 2008-2009 Penn State Men's Basketball team, 2009 NIT CHAMPIONS!!!

Penn State Update - 3/28/2009

I have been overlooking a few teams during my weekly Penn State update. Today they'll get their due.

• Fencing is a little recognized sport around the nation. However it has been quite successful at Penn State over the last 20 years. This year has been no different. The men's and women's teams combined for their 11th National Championship. Penn State's first NCAA Title came in 1990. Since then the fencing team has captured 10 more. Four Nittany Lion fencers earned individual honors, two men and two women. Aleksander Ochoki and Nick Chinman are the sabre and foil National Champions, respectively. For the women, Anastasia Ferdman (epee) and Doris Willette (foil) earned individual titles. When the last coaches poll was released, Notre Dame was favored to take home the overall title. They finished second with 182 total wins, 13 behind Penn State. Ohio State was third with 166. This is Penn State's 63rd NCAA National Championship in any sport. It is also the fourth won in the past 16 months. [Go PSU Sports, Nittany White Out, and Black Shoe Diaries]

Congratulations to the Penn State fencing team for winning their 11th National Championship in the last 20 years.

• The men's golf team participated in the Pinehurst Intercollegiate event in mid-March and finished in first place at the conclusion of the match. Up next for the men is the Kepler Invitational in Columbus, OH on April 11 and 12.
• The women's golf team finished 4th in the First Market Bank Intercollegiate last weekend. They'll be participating in the Canes and Cardinals classic next weekend.
• The men's lacrosse team fell to 3-4 on the season when they lost to Fairfield in OT, 5-4. They are currently playing at Massachussetts while I type this.
• After starting the season 4-0, the women's lacrosse team has dropped four straight evening their record at 4-4. They try to start a new winning streak today at William & Mary.
  
• The men's swimming and diving team are participating in the NCAA Championships this weekend in College Station, Texas. They were ranked 22nd as of 2/26 (the last update). The 200 freestyle relay finished 14th on Thursday. The individual and team competitions continue today.
• The women's swimming and diving team, ranked 15th as of 2/26, competed in the NCAA Championships last weekend. The women finished a disappointing 38th.
• The men's tennis team fell to 8-8 on the year when they lost to #28 Minnesota, 5-2, yesterday. They are off today but host Iowa tomorrow.
• The women's tennis team stands at 3-12 on the year. They lost yesterday to Minnesota, 5-2. They play at Iowa tomorrow.
• The men's and women's track teams are in the Jim Thorpe Invitational today at the Nittany Lion Track. The men aren't ranked but the women's indoor team was ranked 5th as of 2/18.
• The baseball team sits at 13-9 on the season and was very active the last week. They swept the three game series versus New York Tech (4-2, 13-2, 9-2) last weekend and beat Kent Staet (9-2) and Temple (7-4) on the road. They opened up a three game series with rival Ohio State last night. The Nittany Lions lost the first game 8-3. The teams are playing right now and will also meet tomorrow afternoon.
  
• The softball team fell to 9-14 this year after losses to Nebraska, Illinois (twice), and Pittsburgh. They take on Northwestern today and tomorrow as the heart of Big Ten play starts.
  
• The wrestling team's season ended last weekend but here is one last recap. Penn State had two All-Americans (Quentin Wright and Frank Molinaro). The team finished 17th overall. It was another strong year for the Big Ten Conference as a whole. Iowa (surprised?) won another National Championship, their 2nd straight and 22nd overall. Three other Big Ten schools finished in the Top 10 (Ohio State - 2nd, Illinois - 8th, Wisconsin - 9th). All 11 Big Ten school finished in the Top 25. Galen has the lowdown. Check it out. [The Nittany Line]
• The men's gymnastics team vaulted up to 4th place in the national rankings (as of 3/23) thanks to a competitive showing against #2 Oklahoma. Penn State fell to the Sooners, 366.850 to 356.300. The regular season has concluded and the Big Ten Championships begin next weekend. It will most likely come down to Illinois, Michigan, and Penn State.
• The women competed in the Big Ten Championships last weekend and finished 3rd, catapulting them to 12th in the national rankings. Michigan took the title - their 17th - and Illinois finished 2nd. Oddly enough those two teams are ranked 16th and 14th, respectively, in the nation. However, the individual honors rolled in for the Nittany Lions. Brandi Personett was named the Big Ten Gymnast of the Year and head coach Steve Shephard took home his third Coach of the Year title. The team has been selected to compete in the Southeast Regionals in order to earn a place in the NCAA Championships. The matches will take place April 4th in Raleigh, N.C. at North Carolina State's Reynolds Coliseum. The top two teams from each regional advance to the national championships to be held April 16th-18th in Nebraska. Penn State and #1 Georgia are favored to emerge from the field of six, which also includes #13 Nebraska, #21 West Virginia, #29 N.C. State, and #30 North Carolina. This isn't the best draw for the Nittany Lions. They have to compete against the #1 team in the nation, two teams from in-state, and the team hoping to win a national championship on their home turf. Good luck ladies!
• The men's volleyball team, ranked 12th as of 3/23, has won four straight matches after failing to win one at the Active Ankle Classic at Long Beach State. They beat IPFW, Loyola Chicago, Juniata, and Princeton 3-0 over the last eight days. The team hosts Mount Olive tonight.
• Last, but certainly not least, the men's basketball team. The Nittany Lions upset the favored Florida Gators in the NIT quarterfinals to advance to the Final Four in New York. They will face Notre Dame on Tuesday. No matter how this season ends it has been quite a run for the Penn State seniors and head coach Ed DeChellis. [Nittany White Out]
• OK this is really last. Who did BSD name the Nittany Lion of the Week? How about two of our new national champions? That's right, this week Anastasia Ferdman and Doris Willette take the honor. [Black Shoe Diaries]
  

Congratulations again to the fencing team on their 11th National Championship! Don't forget to tune in for the NIT Final Four match versus Notre Dame on Tuesday!

Penn State Update - 3/21/2009

The NCAA Tournament is underway, ACHA Nationals are over, and Big Ten Championships are aplenty. Find out how your favorite Nittany Lion teams fared this past week.

• Let's start with some hockey. The Icers - fresh off of their regular season and postseason ESCHL championships - traveled to Ohio for the ACHA Nationals Tournament. Penn State settled in as the #2 seed, set to face 15 seed Duquesne last Saturday afternoon. The Icers dispatched id the Dukes 5-2 and advanced to face host Ohio in round two. As expected the home team was amped to take on a bitter rival. Fortunately the Icers came out on top, 3-2, in OT. The team had on off day Monday before facing off against Illinois, the team that beat Penn State in the finals last year. The Fighting Illini would again get the best of the Icers, winning 3-0 and advancing to take on Lindenwood in the finals. Lindenwood, the #1 seed, would go on to win their first ACHA National Title, dispatching Illinois 4-1 on Wednesday. The Icers lose 13 seniors to graduation. [Penn State Hockey, Black Shoe Diaries, & The Daily Collegian]
• The men's basketball team was left out of the NCAA Tournament but was chosen to participate in the Postseson NIT. It was the first time the men's b-ball team has gotten to play in the postseason since 2001. They, of course, made it interesting. Penn State was give a 2 seed and was to face off against #7, and former NCAA Cinderella, George Mason. Penn Stata controlled the first half of the first round NIT game but GM stormed back and took control for much of the second half. With five seconds left and Penn State down by three, Talor Battle drove down the court and nailed a three at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime. Battle would lead the Nittany Lions to victory, 77-73, and a berth in the second round. You can see the final seconds of regulation below. [Nittany White Out & Black Shoe Diaries]
  

• The men's team wasn't finished. They sought revenge for a regular season loss to Rhode Island, their NIT round two foe. Penn State controlled the game and won 83-72, advancing to the NIT's Elite Eight. They face #1 seed Florida on Tuesday in Gainesville. [Black Shoe Diaries]
• The wrestling team is participating in the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, MO this weekend. The event started Thursday and continues through this evening, when National Champions will be crowned. Penn State initially sent six wrestlers for individual matches. Two have emerged as All-Americans (finishing 8th or higher in weight class). Redshirt freshman Frank Molinaro and true freshman Quentin Wright both won enough matches to finish 8th or better in their weight classes. Molinaro will fight today for 7th place. Wright has a match this morning to advance to the semi-finals. Two Penn State All-Americans from last season - Jake Strayer and Dan Vallimont - fell one win shy of repeating. [Go PSU Sports & The Nittany Line]
• The baseball team continued their four game series with Rutgers last Saturday. After winning the series opener Friday evening, the Nittany Lions lost both games of the double header, 6-5 in 10 innings and 5-2. They ended up splitting the four game series when Penn State won the final match on Sunday, 7-3. The Nittany Lions returned home this week and started a three game series with New York tech last night. Penn State won the first game 4-2. They play today at 1:05 and tomorrow at 12:05.
• The women's gymnastics team is currently in Champaign, IL for the Big Ten Championships which start today at 3 PM. The women are currently ranked 13th in the nation and are favored to take home the Big Ten crown. The main challengers will be Michigan (national rank: 15), Illinois (16), Minnesota (17), and Ohio State (18). After the Big Ten Championships, the ladies have off until April 4th, the start of the NCAA Regionals.
• The men's gymnastics team remains 6th in the nation and 3rd in the Big Ten behind Illinois (3) and Minnesota (5). Last Saturday evening the men fell to 4th ranked California in Rec Hall, 355.150 to 353.800. Tonight they are in Norman, OK to take on #2 Oklahoma. The Big Ten Championships for the men are April 3 and 4.
• The men's volleyball team is in a bit of a rut. After losing to BYU in the opening round of the Long Beach State Active Ankle Classic, the team fell to the hosts, 3-2. Penn State rebounded last night, dispatching IPFW in straight sets. The team plays at Juniata on Tuesday. The men are now ranked 7th in the nation.
• This weeks Nittany Lion of the Week is Talor Battle. The Penn State basketball player hit the game tieing shot at the buzzer to send the game versus #7 seed George Mason into OT. Battle remained hot in OT and the Nittany Lions emerged victorious. Battle was also a consensus All-Big Ten selection. [Black Shoe Diaries]
  

Penn State Update - 3/14/2009

Well, collegiate winter sports are winding down. Men's and women's basketball conference tournaments are ending with the national tournament on the horizon. Wrestling, gymnastics, and hockey have just a week or two left as well. Here' a round up on how some of Penn State's other (read: not football) teams did this past week.

• We'll start again with men's basketball. The resurgence continued this past week. For the first time in many years, Penn State basketball players were awarded for excellence. Ed DeChellis was named Big Ten Coach of the Year by the media. Talor Battle was named to both the media's and coaches All-Conference First Team, Jamelle Cornley made second team as selected by the media and third by the coaches, and Stanley Pringle was honorable mention for each too. Battle is only the fifth, yes fifth, Nittany Lion to earn any First Team honors and only the second to be named to both the media's and coaches first team (Jarrett Stephens, 2000). He is also the first Nittany Lion since 2001 to get on the Big Ten's first team. Quite a drought indeed. [Black Shoe Diaries & Zombie Nation]
• The men's team did have a few games this week, too. Unfortunately it wasn't all good. After a thrilling victory over Illinois on March 5th, Penn State couldn't get anything going against Iowa last Saturday evening. The Nittany Lions fell to the lowly Hawkeyes in double overtime, 75-67. The loss dented the PSU armor and exposed some weaknesses heading into the Big Ten tournament. With the Iowa loss the teams hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001 were in jeopardy. They needed at least one win to stay n the bubble. With the Iowa loss Penn State dropped from a possible #2 seed to the #6 seed and drew Indiana in the first round. This years Big Ten Tournament is in Indianapolis, IN. Penn State had already beaten the Hoosiers twice this season and they say it's tough to beat the same team three times. Thankfully, Battle and Company were up to the challenge. Penn State had few problems dispatching Indiana, winning Thursday evening 66-51 in front of thousands of Indiana hoops fans. With the win Penn State moved into the second round of the tournament and got to play another Indiana school: Purdue. The Boilermakers had a somewhat disappointing season, having been ranked in preseason polls in the Top 10. At the start of the tournament they were barely hanging in the Top 25. However they came out on fire Friday night and had their way with Penn State, cruising to an easy 79-65 victory. If Purdue plays like that every game they definitely will be a threat the rest of the season. [Black Shoe Diaries & Nittanydelphia]
• Crispinandcream has had enough of the PSU doubters. He has chronicled and analyzed everything about the 2008-2009 Nittany Lion basketball team and sees one thing: a NCAA Tournament berth. Once can only hope. Is it Sunday night yet? [Crispin and Cream]
• Check out this great round up of what Penn State chances are of making "March Madness". Devon2012 believes that, as of right now, there are really only five spots left... are we in? [Nittany White Out]
  
• As stated last week, the women's basketball team lost in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament and their season is over.
• Baseball is starting to pick up steam and the Nittany Lions are back on track. After a sweep at the hands of Texas due to a lack of offense, Penn State has found their bats. They have played six games since my last post on them and have scored 74 runs and were 5-1 in those games.They defeated Akron last Saturday, 10-4, and the beat both Lehigh,15-5, and Saint Joseph's, 8-7, on Sunday. They then had a two game set in Fort Myers to take on Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday and Wednesday. They dropped the first game, 12-11, in 14 innings. They came back the next day and won 18-16. Yesterday the Nittany Lions started a four game set with Rutgers. Penn State won the first game 12-8. They have a doubleheader today. Game 1 is scheduled for 12 PM and game 2 is at 4 PM. They conclude their four game series with Rutgers on Sunday at 12:30 PM. Penn State is now 7-6 on the season. [Black Shoe Diaries]
• The women's gymnastics team continued it string of strong performances with a 196.225-195.925 win at West Virginia last Sunday. That is their third straight win, leaving them at 6-3 on the season and ranked 15th in the nation (as of 3/9/09). The women have a quad meet today at 4 PM at Maryland where they'll also face Arizona and Yale. This is their final regular season meet. The Big Ten Championships start next Saturday.
• The men also have been performing at an excellent level of late. They defeated William & Mary and Navy last Sunday and are now ranked 6th in the nation. They host California, who is ranked #5, at 7pm tonight at Rec Hall. This would be a big win for the program. They finish their regular season schedule at #2 Oklahoma next Saturday before the Big Ten Championships begin the first weekend in April in Ann Arbor, MI.
  
• The men's wrestling team played in the Big Ten tournament as it did the last few weeks of the regular season: sub par. The team finished in 7th place and was extremely disappointed. The team really fell off at the end of the year after a strong start and high hopes. The NCAA Tournament begins on March 19th. [The Nittany Line]
• The Penn State men's volleyball team is participating in the Long Beach State Active Ankle Classic this weekend. They got off on the wrong foot, falling to #9 BYU in 5 sets. They play the hosts tonight at 10 PM. Prior to the weekend, Penn State was ranked #4 in the nation. They are 15-2 so far this season.
• The Icers begin ACHA Nationals action today at 2:30 PM versus Duquesne in Gates Mills, OH. If the Icers win they'll play either Rhode Island or Ohio at 2:30 PM tomorrow. Should they win that match they'd then take on one of these four teams on Tuesday at 8:30 PM: Delaware, Stony Brook, Iowa State, or West Chester. The winner of the Tuesday game goes on to the National Championship game versus one of eight teams (which I will not list). The final game is on Wednesday at 7 PM. Let's go ICERS!!! [Black Shoe Diaries & Penn State Hockey]
• Finally, BSD continues his "Nittany Lion of the Week" award. On Wednesday Ed DeChellis was named "Nittany Lion of the Week" for (possibly) leading his team to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years and for being named the media's Big Ten Coach of the Year. Congratulations, Ed! [Black Shoe Diaries]
  

Penn State Update - 3/7/2009

What's happened the last week in Penn State athletics? Find out below...

• Let's start with men's basketball. The Nittany Lions had quite the eventful week. Last Saturday night they squeaked out a win versus lowly Indiana at the Bryce Jordan Center, 61-58. The significance about the win was two-fold. First, it got the team to 20 wins. That's a HUGE accomplishment for this team. Second, and more importantly, it kept their March Madness hopes alive. After the win on Saturday the team had off until a home showdown with Illinois on Thursday, March 5th, whom they beat in Champaign just a little over two weeks ago. The game was exciting, to say the least. Penn State pulled out an epic win, upsetting the Illini (again), 64-63. As you can tell this meeting had a bit more offensive flair than the previous one. Talor Battle stole the victory by hitting his shot with 0.3 seconds left in the game. For the first time that I know of, fabns actually rushed the court. [Nittany White Out]
  

From Nittany White Out.

• There are plenty of basketball write-ups to share. They are all good. [Nittany White Out, Black Shoe Diaries, Nittanydelphia, & Zombie Nation]
• Nittany White Out continues their great PSU basketball coverage. They actually had a post rebutting MGoBlog's about why Michigan should make the NCAA Tournament and not Penn State. This was written prior to the second Illinois upset. [Nittany White Out]
• Yes, the Penn State win over Illinois was huge. Rushing-the-court huge. Oh, and very You Tube-worthy. [Nittany White Out, Nittany White Out, & Black Shoe Diaries]
• The kid that appeared ready to attack Talor Battle after the Illinois game has come clean. He claims to have only bear-hugged him... for 3 seconds. [Crispin and Cream]

From Crispin and Cream

• Enough with men's basketball, how about the women? After back-to-back wins over Illinois and Northwestern the Lady Lions couldn't keep it going versus a strong Ohio State squad. The ladies drooped the game in Columbus 74-63 on March 1st. On the 5th they were in Indianapolis for the start of the Big Ten tournament. They faced Illinois once again but didn't come out on top, dropping the game 58-49. The Lady Lions are done for the season, finishing 11-18 overall and 6-12 in Big Ten play.
• Moving from the court to the diamond, the baseball team hasn't played any more games outside of that four game set with Texas. The Longhorns had their with Penn State. Texas swept the series, outscoring Penn State 25-4. Ouch. The most memorable of the series was the February 28th nightcap, in which SP T.J. Macy went eight innings, allowing one run on five hits, and struck out five. The team sits at 2-5 and has a match at 7:30 tonight against Akron in Florida. They also have a double header tomorrow, playing Lehigh at 1:00 PM and St. Joseph's at 4:30 PM. [Black Shoe Diaries]
• Nothing has happened with the wrestling team in two weeks. However, the Big Ten Championships started today in University Park. They continue tomorrow. [The Nittany Line]
• After a 1st place finish on February 21st the women's gymnastics team had off until last Sunday. They faced off against Ohio State and Alabama in Rec Hall. The ladies came out victorious. They finished with a score of 196.650, good for 1st place. The women travel to West Virginia for a head-to-head match tomorrow and then next Saturday travel to Maryland for another head-to-head match up. The Big Ten Championships are the following Saturday in Illinois.
• The men's gymnastics team hosted Ohio State last Saturday and traveled to Philadelphia to play Temple on Friday. The Nittany Lions won both matches, continuing their streak of good play. The team has off today but suits up again tomorrow for a dual meet in Williamsburg, VA. The team is matched against William & Mary and Navy.
• The men's volleyball team continues to roll through their regular season schedule. After trampling Lewis last Friday the team took down NJIT on Saturday. They swept George Mason last night at Rec Hall. Next the squad heads to Long Beach, CA for the Long Beach State Active Ankle Classic. They play BYU Friday and Long beach State on Saturday the 14th. The squad is 15-1 and ranked 4th as of March 2nd.
• The Icers competed in the ESCHL Post Season Tournament where they were the host and #1 seed. They dispatched Drexel in the semifinal, 6-2, on Saturday and then beat Delaware in the championship game, 4-1, on Sunday afternoon. The Penn State Icers were regular season and post season champions of the ESCHL. Yesterday the team took on Pitt, and easily disposed of the Panthers 6-2 in a tune up for Nationals. Nationals begin next Saturday. The Icers take on Drexel. [Penn State Hockey]
• Lastly, the great SBN blog Black Shoe Diaries - mentioned on this site (multiple times) weekly - awards their Nittany Lion of the Week every Wednesday. On the 4th, BSD selected woman's gymnast Brandi Personett. She was awarded her 4th Big Ten gymnast of the week award for the 2008-2009 season. This was her eighth award of her career. [Black Shoe Diaries]

That is the Penn State athletics round up for the last week. With Big Ten Championships heating up these next two weeks, the update should be quite exciting!

Penn State Update - 2/28/2009

Here's what has happened in Penn State sports the last few days as well as some upcoming events.

• The baseball team competed in the Big Ten/Big East challenge last week. They dropped their first game to St. John's, 15-6, but won their next two games versus Northwestern (9-1) and Seton Hall (6-1). They started a four game set at Texas last night and fell in the opener to the Longhorns, 9-2. They have a doubleheader today (1:30 and 4:30). Texas is ranked #4 in the nation. [Black Shoe Diaries & Black Shoe Diaries]
• The men's basketball team had a rough week, losing their only game at Ohio State, 73-59. The loss really hurts the teams chances of making the NCAA Tournament. The boys will need a win tonight at the Bryce Jordan Center vs Indiana, as well as a win versus either Illinois on March 5 or at Iowa on March 7. Winning two of those three will not guarantee a spot, either. They probably have to win a game or two in the Big Ten tournament to have a shot at March Madness. Devon2012 has a look at the loss to Ohio State. [Nittany White Out]
  
• In some more encouraging news on the men's basketball team, Ed DeChellis is being recognized (finally) as underrated coach with a program on the rise. It has taken him a few years but he is finally getting the respect he deserves. Penn State (men's) basketball has never been dominant or among the nation's elite like football has but the basketball team has steadily improved and is reaching the point of solid play, week-in and week-out. [More Than Gold News]
• The Icers continue their fine play, finishing the season 27-8, ESCHL regular season champions, and the #1 seed in the ESCHL post season tournament. They host Drexel today at 3:30. The winner play either Rhode Island or Delaware tomorrow at 1:00 for the post season league championship. No matter the outcome, the Icers will be making an appearance in the ACHA National Tournament. They will most likely be the #2 seed and will play Duquesne on March 14th. More on them next week! Go Icers! [Black Shoe Diaries & Penn State Hockey]
• Last week the men's volleyball team was coming off their first loss, to Loyola (Chicago), 3-2. They have responded by winning their next three matches. They easily dispatched IPFW (3-1), Saint Francis, PA (3-0), and Lewis (3-1). The matches against Saint Francis and Lewis were at Rec Hall, as are the next two matches (vs. NJIT, vs. George Mason). The NJIT match is this afternoon at 2, but it is in the South Gym.
• The men's gymnastics team has been inactive since their Valentine's Day loss to Illinois. They host Ohio State today at 2 in Rec Hall. Ah, that's why the men's volleyball game is in South Gym.
• Last Saturday the women's gymnastics team hosted a four-team match and took 1st place! Other teams competing were New Hampshire, Rutgers, and Bridgeport. The women host another meet tomorrow, when Ohio State and Alabama will visit Rec Hall. The match starts at 2.
• Immediately after I was a bit harsh on the women's basketball team they go out and win their next two games. They defeated Illinois in Champaign, 67-56, and Northwestern in State College, 65-50. They travel to Ohio State tomorrow for their final regular season game of the year. It starts at 4 pm. The women are 12-16 and are assured a losing record unless they make a run in the Big Ten tournament, which starts March 5th.

That's the Penn State update for the week up to February 28.

Penn State Update - 2/21/2009

Here is your weekly Penn State update for February 21st, 2009...

• The Penn State Icers are one of the most successful club hockey teams in the nation. They have won multiple National Championships at their level and continue their strong play, year in and year out. But is it time for them to take the next step? And how would that change the face of Division I hockey? A SBN blog has been taking a look. Check out Part 1, 2, and an update. [Western College Hockey]
• Penn State basketball's (extremely) slow resurgence is inching closer to its goal: the NCAA Tournament. Though they sit on the bubble now, three more wins and a good showing in the Big Ten tournament might seal a place in march Madness for the first time since 2001. This is all thinks to a football-like outcome of a win against #16 Illinois. For more, check out "Why Can't Us? PSU Stuns Illini!" [Nittany White Out]
• This past Thursday, February 19th, marked the 43 year anniversary of Joe Paterno becoming Penn State's football coach. [Mel Phillips Remembers]
• As all of the Penn State world knows, THON 2009 began last night at 6pm. As of now the "dancers" have been on their feet for over 16 hours! Be sure to check the THON website for more information, a look at the marathon's history, and to donate to the cause. All proceeds to go to fight childhood cancer through The Four Diamonds Fund at Hershey Medical Center. Plus, you can watch it live! The event concludes Sunday at 4pm when the final money tally will be unveiled. Last years THON total was more than $6.6 million and over the past 36 years more than $52 millions has been raised to defeat cancer! [THON LIVE Webcast]
• Both Nittany Lion gymnastics teams continue their recent run of excellence. The men's team is currently ranked #2 in the nation and 1st in the east. Their next match is a week from today, Saturday, February 28th, against Ohio State at Rec Hall. On the other side the women's team is ranked 17th in the nation and 2nd in the Northeast, behind only Michigan. The women's team has a match TONIGHT (February 211st) at Rec Hall against New Hampshire, Rutgers, and Bridgeport. If you need an hour or two break from standing at THON in the Bryce Jordan Center, head across campus to watch the women's gymnastics team!
• The defending National Champion men's volleyball team hopes to copy the women's team once again. Can the men make it two in a row? Well they're off to a pretty good start! The team is 10-1, though they did lose last night to Loyola in Chicago. They have little time to recover as they have a match today against IPFW in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Their back in action at Rec Hall on Wednesday versus St. Francis (PA). As of the last rankings the men's team was ranked #1 in the nation.
• The wrestling team was ranked 24th as of 2/18 and held a record of 8-11-2. They suffered another loss last night versus Penn at Rec Hall. That was the final meet of the regular season. Up next? The Big Ten Championships starting March 7th and continuing through the 8th. The event is actually being held at Penn State this year so head out to cheer on the team in 2 weeks! I know absolutely nothing about wrestling so I'll direct you to someone else for analysis and in-depth updates. [The Nittany Line]
• Back to some men's basketball now. The Nittany Lions are 19-8, with an 8-6 mark in the Big Ten. They have had their ups (wins vs. Purdue, at Michigan State, at Illinois) and downs (losses to Rhode Island, vs Temple, and vs Wisconsin) this seasons. They have four games to go in the regular season, all Big Ten conference foes. They play at Ohio State on Tuesday, then return home to play Indiana on the 28th and a rematch against Illinois on March 5th. The season finale is at Iowa March 7th. Penn State must win at least two of these games to have any hope for an NCAA berth. Three would be best. This doesn't include a strong showing by them in the Big Ten tournament either.
• Unfortunately as the men's team has improved in recent years the girls team has taken a step back. Gone are the likes of Kelly Mazzante and Tanisha Wright and any shot at a Big ten Championship. The women are 9-16 overall but a mere 4-11 in the Big Ten. The have three more games left this season (2/22 @ Illinois, 2/26 vs Northwestern, 2/17 @ Ohio State). The women have not had a winning record since the 2004-2005 season, their last appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

That's the Penn State round up for February 21st.

Deja Vu? Nope, Champs*2!!!

No you are not seeing things. The Penn State men's volleyball team defeated Pepperdine three games to one to claim the 2008 National Championship. If you recall this article the Penn State women's team did the same in December. This is the first time since 1997 that a university had each team win the national championship (UCLA).



It is safe to say the the Penn State volleyball program is looking good. Maybe not California good. But good for a school basically located in the middle of nowhere...with no beaches in sight!

Women's Results (last 10 years)
1998: 35-1
1999: 36-1*
2000: 30-6
2001: 22-8
2002: 25-8
2003: 31-5
2004: 29-3
2005: 31-3
2006: 32-3
2007: 34-2*
10 Year Total: 305-40 (88.4% of matches won)

Men's Results (last 7 years)
2002: 25-4
2003: 28-5
2004: 23-8
2005: 31-4
2006: 22-8**
2007: 22-8
2008: 30-1*
7 Year Total: 181-38 (82.7% of matches won)

**National Runner-Up
*National Champions