Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
California-Irvine
Men's Volleyball Extends No. 4 Cal-Irvine Extra Game Before Falling
January 31, 2006 | Men's Volleyball
Feb. 1, 2006
Box Score
IRVINE, Calif. - The Princeton men's volleyball played likely the highest-ranked team it will see all season Tuesday night in Irvine, Calif., and the Tigers left knowing they could play with the big boys. California-Irvine improved to 7-3 with a 3-1 win, but Princeton could take plenty from a dramatic 38-36 victory in the third game.
Irvine earned the first two games with 30-22 and 30-23 scores. Princeton fought off several match balls and came back with the 38-36 win in the third game, but the host school rebounded to clinch the match with a 30-18 win.
Junior Jack Pichard is making his move from setter to rightside look good early on; he led Princeton with 14 kills and hit .281, a very respectable number for a non-middle against a powerhouse squad like Irvine. He added four digs, three assisted blocks, three assists and an ace to his overall solid match.
Outside hitter Peter Eichler and starting middle blockers Michael Vincent and Brian Hamming each recorded nine blocks. Hamming added four blocks (two solo, two assisted), while Eichler's nine digs were second only to libero Mark Stevens' 12. Freshman setter Brandon Denham added 45 assists.
Two players made their season debuts, including one who was also making a career debut. Freshman Ka'ohu Berg-Hee recorded five kills and hit .375 in one game, and junior Ryn Burns chipped in with five kills of his own. Princeton had no answers to either Irvine's size or the play of Matt Webber, who led all players with 26 kills and a .500 attack percentage. Cal-Irvine outblocked Princeton 14.5-7 and got one solo block and seven assisted blocks from Aaron Harrell.
Princeton continues its four-matches-in-four-days California trip Wednesday evening at UC-San Diego.