CHICAGO (January 15, 2020) – Returning home this weekend, the Loyola University Chicago men's volleyball team hosts No. 14 Penn State and No. 1 Hawaii at Gentile Arena. The 12th-ranked Ramblers welcome the Nittany Lions (0-2, 0-0 EIVA) on Friday at 7 p.m. and the Rainbow Warriors (5-0, 0-0 Big West) on Saturday at 7 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: Loyola faced two road tests last weekend, falling in five sets to UC San Diego and in four to UC Irvine. Cole Schlothauer (21 kills, 11 digs) and Luke Denton (11 kills, 12 digs) posted their first career double-doubles. Numerous Ramblers also recorded career-highs, including Schlothauer (21 kills), Denton (12 digs), Ian Cowen (51 assists), Danny Sutton Farrell (six blocks) and Henry Payne (six kills).
 
Scouting the Nittany Lions: No. 14 Penn State was picked to finish second in the EIVA Preseason Coaches Poll after ending last season with a 15-15 overall record and 10-4 mark in the EIVA. Head coach Mark Pavlik enters his 26th year with Penn State and returns nine players who started at least five matches. Pavlik captured the 2008 NCAA National Championship and leads all active National Collegiate Division (DI-II) head coaches with his 573 wins and ranks fifth all-time among all collegiate men's volleyball coaches. Senior opposite hitter Calvin Mende and sophomore outside hitter Brett Wildman lead the pack of returners. Mende suffered injuries last season but played in 18 matches with 113 kills and a .286 hitting percentage. Wildman was an All-EIVA Honorable Mention selection in 2019 and was named to the EIVA All-Tournament Team after recording 46 kills in two games. Wildman recently led Penn State with 11 kills on .421 hitting against BYU (1/10).
 
Scouting the Rainbow Warriors: No. 1 Hawaii completed a record-breaking season in 2019 with a national runner-up finish and a 28-3 overall record. The Rainbow Warriors begin the season ranked No. 1 nationally for the fourth time in program history, however, it marks the first time they've been the preseason poll favorite since the AVCA created the preseason poll in 2007. Prior to that, the Warriors earned the No. 1 ranking in the first poll of the season in 1989, 1996, and 2003. Head coach Charlie Wade enters his 11th season as a head coach and holds a current record of 186-108. Hawaii is 5-0 on the season and has swept all five of its opponents in three sets. Colton Cowell (3.70 kills per set) and Rado Parapunov (3.42 kills per set), while setter Jakob Thelle has racked up 113 assists.
 
Series Stuff: Loyola leads the all-time series record against Penn State at 15-11, defeating the Nittany Lions in their last two match-ups (2017, 2019) and eight of their last nine meetings. Saturday's game marks the first time Loyola and Hawaii have ever met at Gentile Arena and the first time they've met in 12 years. The Rainbow Warriors lead the all-time series, 2-9, with Loyola's last win in 2007.
 
Up Next: Loyola hosts Charleston (Jan. 24) and Urbana (Jan. 25) next weekend at Gentile Arena. Both matches kick off at 7 p.m.