Penn State to open 2022 season with two-match series vs. BYU

Coach Mark Pavlik and Penn State are going big for their season opener.

The defending EIVA champions as part of releasing its 2022 schedule announced it will begin the season with a two-match non-conference home series versus BYU on Jan. 6-8.

This series will feature two teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season.

Penn State after winning the EIVA title for the first time in four years swept Belmont Abbey in the NCAA Tournament opening round. In addition, BYU won the MPSF championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament finals before losing to Hawai’i.

While the Nittany Lions return their entire starting lineup for the upcoming season, BYU will have to replace multiple All-American starters.

Three All-Americans return for Penn State — setter Cole Bogner, outside attacker Brett Wildman and opposite Cal Fisher. Bogner also was among the nation’s leaders with a 9.31 assists per game average last season and became the second Nittany Lion setter in program history to win the EIVA Player of the Year.

Outside attacker Davide Gardini is the lone All-American starter back for the Cougars. Gardini ended last season with a 3.05 kills per game average and spent the offseason playing for Italy in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League.

This will be the fourth non-conference series between Penn State and BYU in the last five years. The Cougars lead the all-time series 13-10 and are on a 10-match winning streak dating back to 2007.

2022 Penn State regular season schedule

Jan. 6 vs. BYU
Jan. 8 vs. BYU
Jan. 13 vs. Grand Canyon
Jan. 15 vs. Grand Canyon
Jan. 21 vs. USC (at UCLA)
Jan. 22 at UCLA
Jan. 28 at UC Santa Barbara
Jan. 29 at Long Beach State
Feb. 4 vs. Princeton
Feb. 5 vs. George Mason
Feb. 11 at Harvard
Feb. 12 at Sacred Heart
Feb. 19 vs. Saint Francis
Feb. 25 at St. Francis Brooklyn
Feb. 26 at NJIT
March 4 vs. Charleston
March 8 at Ohio State
March 13 vs. Ohio State
March 20 at George Mason
March 25 vs. Harvard
March 26 vs. Sacred Heart
April 2 at Saint Francis
April 8 vs. St. Francis Brooklyn
April 9 vs. NJIT
April 15 at Charleston