ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – No. 9 Lewis men's volleyball (3-2) opens the 2012 regular season on Saturday at 7 p.m. with No. 6 Penn State (1-0). The Flyers recorded victories over then No. 9 Pepperdine, No. 13 Hawaii and Sprignfield during a trip out west to start the season. Lewis earned a second place finish at the Outrigger Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii. Junior outside hitter Jay Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) was named to the All-Tournament Team and earned Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Offensive Player of the Week honors for his play in Hawaii.
 
Penn State swept Ohio State to open the 2012 campaign. Junior Tom Comfort led the team with 12 kills on .409 hitting. Senior Joe Sunder posted 11 kills, while sophomore Jace Olsen had 10 for Penn State in the win. The Nittany Lions will face Loyola-Chicago on Friday evening before arriving in Romeoville on Saturday.
 
Lewis returns the most All-MIVA selections in the conference: senior middle blocker Matt Gallik (Evergreen Park, Ill./Brother Rice) (Second Team – 2010 & 2011), junior opposite hitter Ian Karbiener (Orlando, Fla./Olympia) (Second Team – 2010), senior middle blocker Aaron Flick (North Ridgeville, Ohio/St. Edward) (Second Team – 2011), sophomore setter BJ Boldog (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) (Second Team – 2011) and junior outside hitter Jay Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) (First Team – 2011).

Additionally, Petty, Gallik and sophomore libero Roberto Torres-Davis (Mayaguez, Puerto Rico/Colegio San Benito) were named 2012 Preseason All-MIVA selections.
 
Freshmen Geoff Powell (Claremont, Calif./Claremont) and Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) have split time at the second outside hitter spot so far. Greg Petty (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) had five aces in Lewis' 3-1 victory over Pepperdine on Jan. 7 and 15 kills against Springfield on Jan. 14. Powell's best match came during Lewis' second contest of the year, a 3-2 defeat by Pepperdine on Jan. 8. Powell had 13 kills in the contest.
 
Saturday's matchup is already a good one on paper, but it looks even better when looking at the Volleyball Magazine Media Poll which has the Nittany Lions No. 5 and Lewis No. 7.

The Flyers' No. 9 ranking in the AVCA Poll is the highest during the Dan Friend era at Lewis. A win over Penn State should help Lewis' chances to rise in the rankings.
 
Saturday's match starts a three-match homestand for Lewis. The Flyers host St. Francis (Pa.) on Friday, Jan. 27 at 7 p.m. and George Mason on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m.