Big recruits set to join Penn State

The Penn State men’s volleyball team landed a big recruiting class — a really big recruiting class.

The Nittany Lions landed three men during the early signing period for National Letters of Intent, each of who are 6-foot-8 or taller.

Sending in their paperwork were Bobby Wilden, of Ashburn, Va.; Kyle Mackiewicz, of Clark, N.J.; and Cam Bartus, of Orchard Park, N.Y.

Wilden is a 6-9 athlete from Briar Woods High School who has played as a right- or left-side hitter and middle hitter. He also has trained with the USA Youth National Training Team and has been a Junior Olympian.

“He moves really well,” Nittany Lions coach Mark Pavlik said. “He reminds me of, kind of an Aaron Russell (an All-American with last year’s team), maybe a little bit longer than Aaron Russell.”

Mackiewicz is a 6-8 opposite from J.P. Stevens High School. He collected 338 kills, 44 blocks, 77 digs and 34 aces last season, and had 38 kills in one match.

Bartus is a 6-10 middle hitter from West Seneca West High School — the same high school that produced former Nittany Lion All-American, 2008 National Player of the Year and U.S. Olympian Matt Anderson. Bartus also is from the Eden Volleyball Club, which has produced a number of Nittany Lions including current freshman Jason Donorovich. Bartus also broke Anderson’s single-season school record for kills in a season with 513 last fall.

Also expected to join the team as a walk-on is Declan Pierce as a defensive specialist. Pierce, of Eden, N.Y., will follow his sisters Kendall and Lainy, who are on the Penn State women’s team. While Pavlik cannot comment on walk-ons, Pierce’s sisters and parents confirmed the commitment.

The class of 2016 joins this year’s freshmen which includes Donorovich (6-9) and Calvin Mende (6-11) to make the Nittany Lions formidable at the net down the road.

“We have a lot of size with these two classes,” Pavlik said. “I like the size, the physicality, that they bring.”

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 8:45 PM with the headline "Big recruits set to join Penn State."