HAMBURG, N.Y. - The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball team played its final regular season match of 2026 on Saturday afternoon, when the Lions fought past Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opponent Hilbert College for a 3-1 win in the Brad Hafner Recreation Center.  

Penn State Altoona (9-16, 7-5 AMCC) took advantage of offensive momentum to win the first set 25-22, but Hilbert (5-20, 3-9 AMCC) bit in the second set, winning 25-22. After the loss, the Lions got back on track, winning the next two sets 25-13 and 25-23 to win the match 3-1.  

In the victory, Caleb Fries (Altoona, PA/Altoona) scored 25.5 points, tying for the 13th-most points in a single match in program history. Jack McKenna (Manahawkin, NJ/Southern Regional) tied for the 11th-most digs in a single match after getting 22 today.

The team provided 57 assists today, tying for 12th-most in a match in program history. 

Fries' 25.5 points came off 21 kills, four service aces, and one block assist. Along with his 22 digs, McKenna had 19 points off 17 kills and two service aces. Andrew Kubiak (East Aurora, NY/East Aurora) chipped in with 8.5 points off eight kills and one block assist.  

Travis Johns (Elderton, PA/West Shamokin) recorded a team-best 25 assists, while Shawn Thomas (Bel Air, MD/C. Milton Wright) contributed 21 assists.  

The first set saw numerous changes in momentum, with both teams looking to get ahead of the other. Midway through the set, the Lions generated some important offense through kills by Fries, Kubiak, and McKenna to make the score 16-13. The Lions retained this slim lead until the Hawks scored three unanswered points to tie the score 20-20. The Lions scored the critical five points through kills by Fries and McKenna as well as a service ace by Fries to win the first set 25-22.  

Penn State Altoona started out the second set behind as Hilbert put five points on the scoreboard early to have a 5-2 lead. An attack error by Nikolas D'Andrea later tied the score at eight. The Hawks then had a four-point run during the set to make it 18-13 before the Lions responded with a four-point run of their own to close the gap to one point. Unfortunately, that would be as close as the Lions got in second set as Hilbert was able to hold onto their lead and win the set 25-22. 

The beginning of the third set saw the two sides exchanging points. Penn State Altoona had their first major lead in the set after a McKenna service ace made it 12-7. The Lions extended their lead to eight with kills by McKenna, Kubiak, and Lukas Weathersbee (Altoona, PA/Altoona). The Hawks tried to make a comeback, but the Lions proved too much for them, going on a 6-1 run with kills by Fries and Joshua Harclerode (Nazareth, PA/Nazareth) wrapping up the third set 25-13.  

Hilbert opened the fourth set looking to force a fifth, scoring six unanswered points to take a five-point lead. Penn State Altoona responded by equaling the score at seven following a service ace by Fries. From then on, the Lions were equal to anything the Hawks threw at them. A kill from Fries made the score 19-15 and put the Lions in good position to win the fourth set. That position was threatened after an attack error by McKenna tied the score at 21. Fortunately, the Lions regained their composure to get the four critical points they needed to win the fourth set 25-23 and the match 3-1.  

Up next, the No. 4 seed Lions will travel to clash against No. 1-seeded Buffalo State in the semifinals of the AMCC Tournament. The semifinal is scheduled to take place next Wednesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. in the Sports Arena.