Men’s Volleyball Beats Chatham 3-2 for First Home Win
ALTOONA, Pa. – The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team got its first home win of the 2025 season on Tuesday night, when the Lions pulled out a five-set thriller over non-conference opponent Chatham University in Adler Arena.
Chatham (2-5) grinded out a 26-24 win in the opening set, before Penn State Altoona (4-4) picked up a 26-24 victory of its own in the second set. The third set was another closely contested affair, and the Cougars came away with a 27-25 triumph. But the Lions prevailed 25-18 in the fourth set, then won the match with a 15-12 victory in the fifth.
Penn State Altoona had five different players finish the match with double digits in points and kills. Caleb Fries (Altoona, PA/Altoona) led the way with a team-high 17.5 points on 12 kills, three block assists, a solo block, and three service aces while tying for the match high in digs with 13. Lucas Petrones (Oxford, PA/Avon Grove Charter) recorded 17 points on a team-best 14 kills to go along with two aces and a solo block.
Michael Hansen (Palatine, IL/William Fremd) scored 14 points on 10 kills, three solo blocks, and an ace, Jack McKenna (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) had 12.5 points on 11 kills, one solo block, and one block assist, and Landen Fisher (Altoona, PA/Altoona) finished with 12 points on 10 kills and four block assists.
Mason Grover (Penfield, NY/Penfield) tallied 51 assists to go along with three aces and a pair of kills. His total of 51 assists is the sixth-most in a match in Penn State Altoona men's volleyball history.
Adam Chan (Framingham, MA/Framingham) had nine digs from the libero position.
Penn State Altoona finished with a season-best .292 attack percentage as a team, led by Fisher swinging at a .600 clip and Hansen compiling a .500 attack percentage.
The teams traded points throughout the first set and found themselves knotted at 19-19 late. Three straight Chatham points gave the visitors a 22-19 advantage, but kills by McKenna and Hansen, along with a Hansen service ace, tied the score at 24-24. But the Cougars scored the next two points to open the match with a 26-24 victory.
The second set was another tight battle, in which neither team was able to take a sizeable lead. Down 20-17, Penn State Altoona used kills from Fisher and Fries and a Grover ace to even the score at 20-20. Another Fries kill made it 22-22, and a Chatham attack error tied the score again, 23-23. The teams exchanged service errors to put the score at 24 points apiece, and the Lions went ahead on a Cougar attack error, then won the set, 26-24, with a Hansen kill.
Chatham staged a late rally in the third set to come from behind and win it. Tied 15-15, Penn State Altoona scored seven of the next 10 points, including back-to-back kills from McKenna and Hansen that gave the Lions a 22-18 advantage. But a 5-0 run by the Cougars put the visitors in front, and despite Penn State Altoona working back to tie the score at 25-25 later, Chatham got a kill and a block to win the set, 27-25, and take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Penn State Altoona had the most lopsided performance in a set by either team during the fourth, when it led by as many as nine points and beat Chatham by seven. The Lions worked their way out to an 8-4 advantage, including getting kills from Fries, McKenna, and Grover. Leading 13-9 later, Penn State Altoona went on a 5-0 run that included kills from Fries and McKenna, a Hansen solo block, and a Fries ace to build an 18-9 advantage. Kills by Hansen and Petrones, along with a block by Fries and Fisher, gave the Lions a 22-15 lead, and Petrones later served up an ace to clinch the set, 25-18, for Penn State Altoona to force a fifth.
Early in the fifth set, the Lions capitalized on two Chatham errors while also getting a Fries kill and Petrones ace to establish a 4-0 lead. Two kills and a block from Fries, along with another Cougar error, made it 8-3, and Petrones put down a kill to set Penn State Altoona's lead at 9-4. Chatham did not relent, rallying to eventually tie the score at 12-12. But Penn State Altoona scored the next three points to win the night, getting a McKenna kill, a Cougar attack error, and a Hansen solo block to take the set, 15-12, and come out on top in the match.
Penn State Altoona men's volleyball continues its homestand this Friday, February 7, when the Lions will host non-conference opponent Randolph College at 7 p.m.
