No. 15 Penn State Men's Volleyball Swept By No. 5 USC

Trojans defeat Nittany Lions in straight sets on Saturday night

Mar. 15, 2026 at 6:23pm

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The No. 15 Penn State men's volleyball team was swept by the No. 5 USC Trojans in a Big Ten non-conference matchup on Saturday night. USC won the match 3-0, with Cooper Keane recording a career-high 14 kills for the Trojans. Penn State's Sean Harvey led the Nittany Lions with 12 kills, while Ryan Merk had a game-high 10 digs.

Why it matters

This loss marks Penn State's third straight defeat, and they are now 1-7 against ranked opponents this season. The Nittany Lions struggled offensively, hitting just .073 as a team, while USC hit an impressive .416 with 41 kills.

The details

Penn State got off to a slow start, falling behind 13-5 in the first set before eventually losing 25-13. The Nittany Lions kept the second set close early, but USC pulled away to win 25-14. In the third set, Penn State kept it close, but the Trojans closed out the match with a 25-17 victory.

  • The match took place on Saturday, March 15, 2026.

The players

Cooper Keane

A USC player who recorded a career-high 14 kills in the Trojans' victory.

Sean Harvey

A Penn State player who led the Nittany Lions with 12 kills.

Ryan Merk

A Penn State player who had a game-high 10 digs.

Dillon Klein

A USC player who had 12 kills in the match.

Sterling Foley

A USC player who contributed to the Trojans' victory.

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What’s next

Penn State will head to Pittsburgh to take on Ohio State at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25.

The takeaway

This loss highlights the challenges Penn State has faced against ranked opponents this season, as they struggle to find consistency on offense. The Nittany Lions will need to regroup quickly before their upcoming match against Ohio State.