Ryan Merk, Penn State

Ryan Merk

  • Award
    Defensive Player of the Week
  • Week Of
    2/5/2024
  • Sport
    Men's Volleyball
  • School
    Penn State University
  • Year
    Junior
  • Position
  • Hometown
    Chicago, Illinois
  • High School
    Loyola Academy
Penn State's Ryan Merk is the EIVA Defensive Player of the Week for Feb. 5, 2024. The Nittany Lions’ backrow anchor delivered a pair of steady performances in Penn State’s 1-1 weekend. The redshirt sophomore libero notched 11 digs during a 3-0 victory at No. 15 Ball State and a career-high 15 digs in a 3-2 loss at Purdue Fort Wayne. For the weekend he had 26 digs, two assists and was 45 for 49 in service receptions. Merk has posted double-digit dig totals in three of his last four matches, and four times overall this season. He leads the nation in total digs (88) and is first in the EIVA and ninth nationally in digs per set (2.38). This is the first weekly honor of the season and career for Merk. Penn State has swept the EIVA’s weekly awards for a second consecutive week and has five different award winners through the season’s first five weeks.