Charleston, W.Va. — Charleston wrapped up its home slate with a two-match EIVA series against Penn State at the Wehrle Innovation Center. The Golden Eagles stayed competitive in multiple sets and made late pushes, but Penn State controlled key runs to secure the weekend sweep.

Game 1

The Basics:
Location: Charleston, W.Va. (Wehrle Innovation Center)
Score: Penn State 3, Charleston 0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-17)
Records: Charleston (13-11, 4-5 EIVA), Penn State (15-7, 7-0 EIVA) 

How It Happened:
Charleston fell behind early in the opening set as Penn State used a quick run behind Michael Schwob to take control. Joonatan Salpakari and Lucas Torres provided points for the Golden Eagles, but Charleston struggled to string together offense as PSU extended the lead and took the set 25-14.

In the second, Charleston established rhythm early. Kills from Pavlin Ivanov and Torres kept the set even before the Golden Eagles created separation at 10-7 behind a Salpakari block and a Torres service run that included an ace. Penn State responded to tie it at 12-12, and the teams traded points through the middle of the set with Salpakari and Kai Cousins leading Charleston's attack. After falling behind 20-15, Charleston responded with kills from Salpakari and Cousins along with a PSU error to cut it to 23-20, but Penn State closed out the set 25-21.

Charleston again competed early in the third, staying within reach through the opening points before Penn State used a mid-set run to go in front. The Golden Eagles answered late after trailing 17-11, using a block from Braxton Francis and Cousins along with kills from Cousins and Salpakari to cut the deficit to 23-20. Charleston also forced multiple Penn State errors during the run, but PSU responded with back-to-back kills from Matthew Luoma to close the set 25-17.

Offensively
Kai Cousins led Charleston with 7 kills, while Lucas Torres added 5 and Joonatan Salpakari finished with 4. 

Defensively
Charleston totaled 13 blocks in the match, with multiple stops coming from Braxton Francis, Salpakari, and Cousins at the net.

Game 2

The Basics:
Location: Charleston, W.Va. (Wehrle Innovation Center)
Score: Penn State 3, Charleston 0 (25-20, 28-26, 25-20)
Records: Charleston (13-12, 4-6 EIVA), Penn State (16-7, 8-0 EIVA) 

How It Happened:

Charleston stayed within reach throughout the opening set, trading points early behind Joonatan Salpakari and Conrad Spidsø. The Golden Eagles remained within a few points through the middle of the set as Spidsø and Samuel Alo generated offense, but Penn State used a late run to create separation and take the set 25-20.

The second set was Charleston's strongest of the match. The Golden Eagles traded points throughout, with kills from Spidsø, Alo, and Salpakari keeping the set even. Charleston held late leads and continued to side out under pressure, but Penn State answered each push. After multiple ties down the stretch, PSU edged Charleston 28-26.

In the third, Charleston again stayed competitive early, getting points from Spidsø and Alo to remain within striking distance. Penn State created separation midway through the set, but Charleston continued to fight late behind Salpakari and Braxton Francis while forcing errors. The Golden Eagles were unable to close the gap as PSU secured the set 25-20.

Offensively
Conrad Spidsø led Charleston with 14 kills, while Samuel Alo added 6 and Joonatan Salpakari finished with 5. 

Defensively
Charleston recorded 23 digs as a team, with multiple players contributing to keep rallies alive throughout the match. 

Up Next:
Charleston travels to face New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark, N.J. at 7:00 p.m. on April 10th.