Princeton University Athletics
Volleyball Eyes EIVA Crown, Opens With George Mason Saturday
April 21, 2004 | Men's Volleyball
April 21, 2004
PRINCETON - The only time that Princeton men's volleyball won an EIVA championship, the Tigers earned a trip to Hawaii to compete for the NCAA title. With another trip to the Aloha State on the line, the Tigers will begin their run to the league title Saturday at home against George Mason.
Princeton finished the regular season with a 13-9 record, including a 5-7 mark in the EIVA Tait Division. The five wins were enough to earn a home quarterfinal for Princeton, which was crucial to this year's team. The Tigers are 4-2 at home and 1-5 on the road in Tait matches this season.
One of three splits came to George Mason, with both teams taking the home matches. Princeton won the first meeting 3-0 (30-27, 30-28, 30-28). Despite an 0-9 record heading into the match, the Patriots hung close in every game, but the Tigers got the key points when they needed them. Leading the way was outside hitter Blake Robinson, who had 20 kills and a .359 hitting percentage, while Brian Hamming had 14 kills and a .500 attack percentage. Felix Campos, Mason's top hitter, had 20 kills and 14 digs in the match. Princeton would have more balanced hitting in the second match, as four players would have between 12 and 15 kills, but the Tigers had no answer for Campos in this one. He had 26 kills and a .304 attack percentage in a 3-1 win. After switching setters in the loss earlier, Mason relied on Dave Egan, who recorded 50 assists in the win. Princeton still had plenty of success in the middle, as Hamming and Sean Vitousek combined for 26 kills and only five errors.
Mason pulled out a tight 32-30 win in the opener, and cruised to a 30-18 win in the second game. Princeton came back and won the third game 30-22, but the Patriots closed it out with a 30-25 win in the finale.
As it turned out, that win in the third game was nearly critical for Princeton, as it gave the Tigers the first tiebreaker over Mason in the race for home court. It appeared highly unlikely that it would matter, considering Mason's slow start, but the Patriots upset Rutgers-Newark at home to jump past Springfield and move into the fifth seed. A win over Penn State in the finale would have give George Mason the same record as Princeton, but the Nittany Lions cruised to a 3-0 win last weekend to end the regular season.
Now these two teams are playing for a third shot at the Nittany Lions. EIVA Player of the Year Keith Kowal has led Penn State to the top of the Tait Division standings once again. The Nittany Lions open up with Springfield this weekend, whom Penn State has already beaten 3-0 this year. If Penn State wins, it will play the winner of the Princeton-George Mason match for a berth in the finals. The other side of the draw appears to be heading towards a semifinal match between Rutgers-Newark and Juniata, both of which have strong enough teams to make a run at the league title this season. No. 7 NYU (Rutgers-Newark) and No. 6 Springfield (Juniata) could pose upset threats in their quarterfinals, as both own wins against their opponents this season.
As for Princeton, health and effectiveness will dictate how long the Tigers last. The biggest injury concern is Robinson, who went down with an ankle injury in a 3-2 home loss to Juniata. Robinson hasn't played since then and will be monitored this week, possibly up until Saturday's 1:00 start.
If Robinson can't play, Ryn Burns and Reid Joseph would likely serve as outside hitters. Burns was injured early in the season but has started for most of the Tigers' EIVA season. He is averaging 2.65 kills per game, but has a .125 attack percentage. Both Burns and Joseph (2.05/.109) have the potential to score points, but both will need to limit errors.
The middle has been consistent all season, and will likely be Princeton's strength against George Mason. Hamming is hitting .479 this season and has 3.29 kills per game, while Vitousek is hitting .427 and has played his best volleyball in the last three weeks. Vitousek is a defensive threat as well, leading Princeton with 1.10 blocks per game. Hamming and Jack Pichard, who will start opposite of setter Jason Liljestrom, are Princeton's best servers. Both have more than 20 aces this season.
Liljestrom is the lone senior starting for Princeton, and he will need to keep the offense flowing throughout the match. He averages 12.45 assists per game and will give his teammates plenty of swings. His experience will be crucial during Mason runs, limiting them to three-point swings instead of seven or more. If Robinson is out, Liljestrom and libero Mark Stevens become that much more important defensively with their ability to dig shots.
If Princeton wins, it will likely face Penn State on Thursday night at State College, Pa. The EIVA finals will be played Saturday and broadcast on CSTV.
Both Hamming and Robinson were named second-team All-EIVA by the league office. Princeton didn't have a member on the first team, which was dominated by both Penn State and Rutgers-Newark. Hamming, a sophomore, and Robinson, a junior, have been among the top hitters in the league all season, and Robinson was named EIVA Player of the Week after leading Princeton past Rutgers-Newark earlier in the season.