Penn State signs three highly regarded East Coast players

A player who made the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team initial roster and two high school players with MVP honors will join Penn State.

Penn State coach Mark Pavlik announced last week that high school seniors Cameron Bartus, Kyle Mackiewicz and Bobby Wilden have committed to play for the Nittany Lions beginning in 2017.

“We have some outstanding skill and size in this class,” Pavlik said in a statement. “This class includes guys from winning programs, who have worked really hard to reach the level of play that they have been displaying throughout their interscholastic and club careers.”

Bartus, a 6-foot-10 middle attacker and outside attacker from West Seneca, New York, served as a team captain and was a two-time most valuable player with his high school team. In addition, Bartus holds the single-season kills record at his high school, which produced former Penn State All-American opposite Matt Anderson.

Mackiewicz, a 6-foot-8 opposite and middle attacker from Edison, New Jersey, is both a two-time high school all-conference selection and most valuable player. Along with his high school success, his mother was a former Brazilian professional volleyball player.

Wilden, a 6-foot-8 opposite from Ashburn, Virginia, spent the summer playing on the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Training Team. He also helped lead his club team to back-to-back East Coast Championships in 2012 and 2013.

Penn State finished last season going undefeated in conference play to win the EIVA championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament semifinals. Despite losing a majority of starters, the Nittany Lions return all-conference setter Taylor Hammond for the upcoming season.