Penn State picked up both EIVA Player of the Week awards to open the 2026 season, with Sean Harvey leading the offense and Ryan Merk pacing the defense.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sean Harvey, R-So., OH, Penn State
Sean paced the Nittany Lion offense in kills in each of the team’s weekend wins, opening the season by defeating Mount Olive 3-1 and sweeping Manhattan 3-0. The redshirt sophomore posted 13 kills on .276 hitting with an assist, five digs and three blocks in the Jan. 9 opener. The next day he had 14 kills while hitting .667 with an ace, a dig and a solo block. He totaled 27 kills on .426 hitting with an ace, an assist, six digs and four blocks, two solo. He also was 29 for 30 in service receptions. This is the first career EIVA weekly honor for Harvey.
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Ryan Merk, R-Sr., L, Penn State
Ryan anchored the defense to help the No. 13 Nittany Lions to a pair of wins to open the season. During a 3-1 win against Mount Olive on Jan. 9 and a 3-0 sweep of Manhattan on Jan. 10, the redshirt senior libero totaled 18 digs and added three assists. He posted nine digs in each match, adding a perfect 36 for 36 in service receptions. The three-time All-American entered the season with 663 career digs, which is eighth on Penn State’s all-time list. This is the fifth EIVA weekly honor of Merk’s career.