Northridge in First Division I Final After Blowout Win Over Penn State

The Cal State Northridge men’s volleyball team can rally behind the cliche of its choice.

The Matadors can either hope they benefit from beginner’s luck, or that the third time facing UCLA will be the charm.

Northridge earned a rematch against the top-ranked Bruins by quickly dispatching Penn State, 15-2, 15-5, 15-11, Friday night in an NCAA tournament semifinal at Pauley Pavilion.

For Northridge, tonight’s 7:30 match marks the first time any of its athletic teams has advanced to a Division I final.

Northridge (23-9), 0-2 against UCLA during the regular season, needed only 1 hour 40 minutes to send Penn State into tonight’s third-place match against Ohio State.

Penn State (20-5) was simply overpowered from both the middle and the outside. Outside hitter Ken Lynch led Northridge with a match-high 22 kills. Teammate Coley Kyman had 15 kills.

Along with teammates Axel Hager and Craig Hewitt, Lynch and Kyman also helped snuff out the threat of David Muir, Penn State’s All-American outside hitter.

Though Muir led the Nittany Lions with 12 kills--Ramon Hernandez, who had 11 kills, was the only other Penn State player in double figures--his attacking percentage was .032.

“I didn’t perform and I let my team down,” Muir said. “There’s no way you can win if your go-to guy doesn’t perform.”

Northridge Coach John Price noted during a match against Penn State last season that Muir was especially effective off a back-set, hitting down the line, and designed a plan to make him less effective--”and I think that frustrated him,” Price said.