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Penn State has another national championship — in men’s beach volleyball.
The pair of Will Bantle and Cal Fisher won the inaugural USA Volleyball Men’s Collegiate Beach Challenge on Sunday in Owing Mills, Maryland.
The Penn State duo swept the pair of USC’s George Dyer and Pepperdine’s Noah Dyer 24-22, 21-17 in the championship match. Along with finishing the tournament undefeated, Bantle and Fisher dropped one set in its six matches.
This beach volleyball title comes in the same year that Bantle and Fisher helped Penn State win the EIVA championship and reach the NCAA Tournament.
Bantle finished last season fourth in the EIVA with a 1.85 digs per game average. The libero also had double-digit digs in three postseason matches, including 13 digs against George Mason in the EIVA Tournament finals.
Fisher, a Second-Team All-American selection, was among the nation’s leaders with a 3.52 kills per game average. In addition, Fisher was second in the nation averaging 0.75 aces per game and was selected as the Off the Block National Server of the Year.
The Men’s Collegiate Beach Challenge was a three-day event featuring 33 teams at Stevenson University. USA Volleyball created this event in an effort to give college men’s beach volleyball players a competitive environment to enhance their skills.
Campbellsville’s Ryan Smith and Jason Camacho defeated Lewis’ Carlos Jimenez and Tyler Penberthy in the bronze-medal match to round-out the medal podium.