Redshirt junior Joe Sunder (Greensburg, Pa.) was named the Sport Imports/AVCA Division I-II National Player of the Week, AVCA officials announced Tuesday. It is the first national honor of Sunder’s career and the 14th for a Penn State men’s volleyball player.
Sunder led the Nittany Lions to a 2-1 record and a second place finish in the Outrigger Invitational hosted by the University of Hawaii. Penn State faced three teams ranked in the Top 15, including then No. 5 Hawaii, No. 8 UCLA and No. 14 Ball State.
Against UCLA, Sunder hit .341 tallying 25.5 points with a career-high 24 kills and three total blocks. He improved upon his career-high against Hawaii with 33 kills in 48 attempts for a .583 attack percentage. Sunder also put up four blocks against the Warriors. He closed out the invitational with 13 kils on .417 hitting with three blocks against Ball State. For the week, Sunder averaged 5.83 kills per set, .833 blocks per set and 6.33 points per set. He was named the Outrigger Invitational Most Outstanding Player for his efforts.
What’s Next?
Penn State opens its home slate on Friday, Jan. 21 against Saint Francis in Rec Hall at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions host Springfield on Saturday, Jan. 22 at 4 p.m. in the South Gym of Rec Hall.
