ALLIANCE, Ohio – Penn State Altoona men's volleyball opened its weekend in the Mount Union Purple Raider Rumble with a 3-0 sweep of Trine University on Friday evening at the McPherson Academic and Athletic Complex.

The Lions (3-3) put together another solid performance on offense to record its third consecutive win, posting a .292 attack percentage while spreading 14 attack errors over three sets. Penn State Altoona swept Trine (2-8) by scores of 25-17, 25-11, and 25-21.

Ben Beaver (Hummelstown, PA/Lower Dauphin) led Penn State Altoona in kills with eight while adding four digs. Dan Downs (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) added six kills, one solo block, and tied the team-high in service aces with two. Frank Perehinec (Altoona, PA/Altoona) also had two aces.

Nathaniel Reinert (State College, PA/State College) totaled a team-best three total blocks, accumulating two solo blocks and one block assist to go along with five kills. Jon Ramsey (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler) also finished with five kills.

Danny Dry (Douglassville, PA/Daniel Boone) and Kyle Whiteman (Northampton, PA/Northampton) tied for the team lead in assists, posting eight assists each. Tyler Chan (Framingham, MA/Framingham) chipped in five assists while leading the Lions in digs with nine.

Penn State Altoona capitalized on 10 Trine attack errors in the first set to secure an eight-point win. Midway through the set, Downs recorded three kills in the span of four points to help the Lions to a 16-9 advantage. Several points later, three straight Trine attack errors gave Penn State Altoona its largest lead of the set, 21-11. A solo block from Downs got the Lions to set point, 24-16, and a Trine service error eventually wrapped up the set.

The Lions' best performance came in the second set, when they committed just one error while swinging at a .474 clip. Trine kept things somewhat close until Penn State Altoona pulled away with a big run in the middle of the set. Ahead 14-8, the Lions embarked on an 8-0 run that included two aces by Downs and one by Perehinec. Penn State Altoona's last three points of the set came courtesy of kills from Reinert, Ben Remlinger (Pittsburgh, PA/Baldwin), and Daniel Jordan (Pittsburgh, PA/Thomas Jefferson).

Penn State Altoona was able to grind out a four-point victory in the third set. Leading 21-18 late in the set, a Trine service error and a solo block by Reinert gave the Lions a 23-18 advantage. Reinert helped his team finish off Trine, recording kills in two of the set's final three points to close things out.

Men's volleyball resumes action in the Purple Raider Rumble tomorrow, Saturday, February 9, when the Lions will play three matches. Penn State Altoona starts its day at 9:00 a.m., when it will face Thomas More College. After that, they play Fontbonne University at 1:00 p.m. before ending the weekend against host school University of Mount Union at 3:00 p.m.