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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Despite two freshmen recording double-digit kills, No. 13 Lewis men's volleyball dropped a 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 25-18, 13-25, 15-13) non-conference decision at No. 10 Penn State on Friday (March 25) evening.

The Flyers opened the match with a two-point win in set one. Lewis saw Penn State erase a four-point lead late in the set to tie the score at 23. A service error ended the run for the Nittany Lions. The Flyers only needed one set point to finish the frame as freshman Jake Walenga (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) put down a kill for point 25.

While Lewis' final lead in set two came at 12-11, it was a frame that could have gone either way. Lewis was within a point of Penn State all the way to 23-22 and 24-23, but the Flyers couldn't get over the hump to knot the score or take the lead.

The two teams traded lopsided wins in sets three and four to set up a fifth and decisive game. A four-point PSU run put the Nittany Lions up 5-2 and made Lewis call time in the fifth. The Flyers rallied back and quickly tied it at six, but just like in set two Lewis wasn't able to take a lead again in the set.

Freshman Mitch Perinar (Channahon, Ill./Minooka) had 18 kills, five digs and four blocks (two solo). Freshman Julian Moses (Atlanta, Ga./Atlanta International School) hit .480 with 14 kills and a pair of aces.

"Julian and Will (McCall) came in and did some nice things," Lewis head coach Dan Friend said. "Will had eight digs and three blocks in three sets and made a difference defensively."

The match was statistically even or close to it in most categories. Both clubs recorded six aces. Lewis slightly out-hit Penn State .230 to .220. Penn State had 58 kills, one more than Lewis. The main difference came defensively. Lewis owned a 14.5 to 10.0 advantage in blocks while Penn State held a 47-40 edge in digs.

"It is about being a little bit more aggressive and consistent in the little things," Friend said. "Not just in the fifth set, but throughout the match."

Penn State improves to 14-6. Lewis falls to 15-11. The Flyers return to the court on Tuesday (March 29) in a conference match at Loyola.