University Park, Pa. — The Penn State men’s volleyball team debuts in the 2011 AVCA Division I-II Preseason Coaches Poll at No. 8. The Nittany Lions are set to face 10 teams in 2011 that are ranked in this year’s preseason poll.
Penn State opens the season against No. 9 UCLA, No. 6 Hawaii and No. 15 Ball State at the Outrigger Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii on Jan. 13-15. The Lions will also face No. 2 UC Irvine, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 10 UC Santa Barbara, No. 11 Long Beach State, No. 12 Cal State Northridge, No. 13 Loyola and No. 14 Lewis during the regular season.
After opening the season on the road, the Nittany Lions host Saint Francis on Jan. 21 in their home opener. Penn State remains at home for five straight matches before a midweek meeting with the Buckeyes on Feb. 9. PSU returns to Rec Hall for four more matches before beginning a six-match road stretch.
Penn State, which closed out 2010 ranked tied for fifth in the nation, returns 11 letterwinners and five starters from the 2010 squad that made its 12th consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to its sixth NCAA Championship match. The Nittany Lions also welcome the addition of five newcomers for the 2011 season.