LORETTO, PA – The University of Charleston men's volleyball team will be back on the court this weekend after taking last week off. They will make their way out to Pennsylvania to take on Saint Francis University on Friday, Feb. 28 at 7:00 p.m. and Penn State at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 29. 
 
A LOOK AT SAINT FRANCIS
The Red Flash have posted an overall record this season of 4-10 and are currently 1-4 in the EIVA. They hold the seventh-place spot in the EIVA. Their most recent game came on Tuesday night against No. 10 Penn State where they fell 0-3 to the Nittany Lions. 
 
As a team this season, Saint Francis has 568 kills on 1,389 total attempts with 317 total attacking errors giving them a hitting percentage of .181. They rank dead last in the EIVA in terms of hitting percentage. 
 
On defense, the Red Flash have 399 total digs this season averaging 7.39 digs per set. An average that puts them in last in the conference as well. They have a total of 92 blocks for the 2020 season averaging 1.7 blocks per set. This ranks them at number seven in the EIVA just ahead of the Golden Eagles who average about 1.64 blocks per set. 
 
Saint Francis is led offensively by redshirt senior outside hitter Michael Fisher. To this point in the season, he has 194 kills, averages 3.88 kills per set and has posted a hitting percentage of .245. 
 
The Red Flash also lean on freshman outside hitter Blake Liprando. In his first season, he has racked up 111 kills as well as a .175 hitting percentage. 
 
From a defensive standpoint, Saint Francis leans on junior setter Roman Szwabinsky and freshman middle blocker Brandon Dunz. 
 
Szwabinsky has a total of 62 digs this season averaging 1.32 digs per set while also recording 22 blocks with an average of 0.47 blocks per set.
 
Dunz has been getting it done with blocks for the Red Flash tallying 40 while averaging 0.87 blocks per set. 
 
A LOOK AT THE NITTANY LIONS
Penn State has an overall record of 9-6 so far in 2020 with and EIVA record of 5-0. At home, they are 4-2 while garnering a record of 5-2 on the road. They are currently in sole possession of the number one spot in the EIVA and are currently ranked No. 10 nationally. 
 
As a team, the Nittany Lions have totaled 705 kills on 1542 total attempts with 248 attacking errors giving them a season hitting percentage of .296 which is ranked second in the EIVA just behind NJIT who has a .301 percentage. 
 
Penn State ranks number one in the conference in service aces having a total of 105 to this point. They average 1.9 service aces per set which also leads the EIVA. 
 
On the defensive side of things, Penn State has a total of 478 blocks and averages 8.7 digs per set which comes in at third in the conference. They have 112 total blocks on the year averaging 2.0 blocks per set which also comes in at third in the conference. 
 
The Nittany Lions are led offensively by redshirt junior Bobby Wilden and sophomore setter Cole Bogner. 
 
Wilden has recorded 205 kills to this point in the season ranking first in the EIVA while he ranks second in kills per set with 3.73.
 
Bogner comes in ranking first in the EIVA with 10.42 assists per set and has a total of 573 assists on the year. 
 
Defensively, Penn State relies on redshirt sophomore Will Bantle and redshirt senior middle blocker Jason Donorovich.
 
Bantle is first in the EIVA with 10.42 digs per set tallying a total of 120 on the year. 
 
Donorovich has recorded 49 total blocks this season and averages around 0.89 blocks per set. 
 
CHARLESTON'S OUTLOOK
Charleston heads into the weekend having won their previous three games. The Golden Eagles showed well in those game grabbing a win against Tusculum University, and taking two wins in a double match weekend against Sacred Heart University where they hit .297 as a team. That performance was the best hitting percentage on a weekend they have had in two years. UC currently has a 4-9 record with a 2-3 record in the EIVA. They currently sit in fifth place in the conference. 
 
As a team to this point in the season, they have a total of 515 kills on 1210 attempts and have 237 attacking errors netting them a .230 hitting percentage which rings them in at seventh in the conference. 
 
Defensively the Golden Eagles as a squad have 395 digs and average 8.59 digs per set which is fifth in the EIVA while they also have 76 blocks and average 1.64 blocks per set which is last in the conference. 
 
UC is led offensively by sophomore outside hitter Lachlan Bray and sophomore setter Diego Villafane. 
 
Bray has a total of 102 kills on the season and has a .234 hitting percentage and averages 3.00 kills per set.
 
Villafane has recorded 410 assists on the season and averages around 8.91 assists per set. 
 
Defensively, the Golden Eagles rely heavily on freshman right side Jake Vorburger and sophomore setter Diego Villafane
 
Vorburger has tallied 52 digs so far in the 2020 campaign and averages 1.37 digs per set. 
 
Villafane has taken on the brunt of the blocks this season for Charleston as he has 28 on the year and averages .61 blocks per set. 
 
Charleston will look to keep their solid play going despite having taken the past week off. This weekend will be very important in terms of the EIVA standings as they take on two conference opponents.
 
COVERAGE
UC will take on Saint Francis on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. The live broadcast and live stats can be found by the following links:
 
Broadcast: http://necfrontrow.com/game/7184
Live Stats: https://sfuathletics.com/sidearmstats/mvball/summary
 
Charleston will then travel to University Park, PA to take on No. 10 Penn State at 4:00 p.m. Live stats of the match can be found at the following link:
 
Live Stats: https://gopsusports.com/sidearmstats/mvball/summary