The Penn State Altoona men's volleyball program will embark on its 11th season as an NCAA Division III varsity sport at the campus, and the Lions have expectations of making a postseason run in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference tournament.

The Lions were predicted to finish fourth in the AMCC standings this season, according to the results of the annual preseason poll of conference coaches. A fourth-place finish would give Penn State Altoona a postseason tournament berth, and the team hopes to follow through with that prediction this season.

Penn State Altoona's 2023 roster will be led by a pair of junior middles, Jared Kish (Columbus, OH/Hilliard Darby) and Connor Ebersole (Altoona, PA/Bishop Guilfoyle), each of whom was picked as a "Player to Watch" for the team in the conference preseason poll. Kish ranked third in the AMCC last season in solo blocks (20) and hitting percentage (.345) while also being ninth in block assists (46) and total blocks (66), 10th in blocks per set (0.64), 22nd in kills (180) and points (230.0), and 25th in kills per set (1.75) and points per set (2.2). Ebersole led the AMCC in solo blocks (32) last season while also finishing seventh in blocks per set (0.68), eighth in total blocks (70), 13th in block assists (38), 27th in points (181.0), 32nd in kills (118) and points per set (1.8), and 36th in kills per set (1.15).

Also returning for the Lions from last year's roster are sophomore libero Jeremy Winter (Massapequa, NY/Massapequa) and sophomore outside hitter/middle blocker Avery Farabaugh (Ebensburg, PA/Cambria Heights). Winter totaled 80 digs last season while chipping in 42 assists, and Farabaugh totaled 32 kills and eight total blocks.

Penn State Altoona also welcomes six first-year players to its roster: sophomore middle Alex Ferry (Warren, PA/Warren) and sophomore setter Thomas Gelman (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Avenues), along with freshman outside hitter Willem Del Priore (Seven Valleys, PA/Dallastown), freshman setter Xavier Vang (Rogers, MN/Rogers), and freshmen defensive specialists Shane Evans (Greensburg, PA/Hempfield) and Julian Paz (Santa Cruz, Bolivia/Santa Cruz Cooperative School).

The men's volleyball team opens its 2023 season on the road this weekend, traveling to play No. 13 Southern Virginia University on Friday, January 20 at 7:00 p.m. and Roanoke College on Saturday, January 21 at 6:00 p.m. Penn State Altoona starts its AMCC schedule later this month with a road match against Saint Vincent College on Tuesday, January 31 at 7:00 p.m.

The team's first home match is Friday, February 3 at 7:00 p.m. against Stevenson University, and their first home conference match is Tuesday, February 7 at 7:00 p.m. against Hiram College.