No. 3 BYU hosts No. 15 Penn State in home opener

PROVO, Utah – No. 3 BYU men’s volleyball will host No. 15 Penn State in its home opener as the Cougars play the Nittany Lions in the Smith Fieldhouse on Friday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. MST and Saturday, Jan. 11, at 5 p.m. MST.

Both matches will be televised on BYUtv while also being streamed on the BYUtv App and online.

BYU Game Notes
Penn State Game Notes

The Cougars are 13-6 all-time against the Nittany Lions and are currently on an eight-match win streak. The two teams are even at 3-3 against the other when playing in Provo with BYU claiming the last two matches on Elaine Michaelis Court.

Penn State is the ninth ranked team to face BYU in its home opener in the rally era. The Cougars are 7-1 in the previous matchups with their only blemish being a five-set loss to No. 13 Loyola Chicago in 2018.

BYU is coming off consecutive wins over ranked opponents as the Cougars opened the season with four-set victories over No. 6 Lewis and No. 11 Loyola Chicago.

Junior opposite hitter Gabi Garcia Fernandez had back-to-back strong offensive performances that garnered MPSF Offensive Player of the Week honors. The All-American set a career high with seven aces in a single match against the sixth-ranked Flyers to total 11 aces in two matches. Along with his hot start from the service line, Garcia Fernandez recorded a combined of 38 kills, 14 digs and eight blocks.

The Cougars swept conference weekly honors with sophomore outside hitter Davide Gardini receiving MPSF Defensive Player of the Week recognition. While being a force offensively and totaling 40 kills on a .412 clip, the All-American also leads the team defensively with 15 digs and eight blocks.