Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Three Volleyball Players Honored As EIVA Semifinals Approach
April 24, 2007 | Men's Volleyball
Junior Peter Eichler and sophomore Mike Vincent were both named second-team All-East, and senior Reid Joseph was selected to the EIVA All-Academic Team, it was announced by the EIVA. All three are expected to be in the starting lineup Thursday at 7:30 when the fourth-seeded Tigers try to shock the volleyball community in the league semifinals against top-seeded and No. 7 Penn State.
Eichler led Princeton in kills this season with 289 and averaged 3.96 per game. His 35 aces were more than twice as many as any of his teammates, and he led Princeton with 2.04 digs per game. The lone captain and most experienced starter, Eichler has been the most trusted hitter for sophomore setter Brandon Denham this season, and he led Princeton in kills last weekend when the Tigers downed fifth-seeded Juniata 3-2 to reach the EIVA semifinals.
Vincent is Princeton's top middle, averaging 2.59 kills and a .334 attack percentage at that spot. A former EIVA Player of the Week, Vincent leads the team with 94 blocks, including 30 solo stops, and is second in the team with 17 aces. He and fellow middle Evan Pasion were nearly flawless against Juniata and led the Tigers to a season-best 23.0 team blocks.
Joseph, also a top water polo player at Princeton, earned academic recognition from the Ivy League. A right-side player, Joseph has used his versatility and experience to help guide the Tigers to their first semifinal appearance in his four years at Princeton.
Princeton, which was swept in all six games against Penn State this season, is going up against history this weekend when it takes on Penn State in the second semifinal at 7:30 p.m., which follows the St. Francis-George Mason matchup. No team has beaten Penn State in the EIVA playoffs since Princeton won the title in 1998, and the Tigers haven't won a single game at Penn State since 1998, a span that includes 30 straight game wins for the Eastern power Nittany Lions.
"They're very good," Eichler said after Sunday's thriller over Juniata, "but we'll go up there and give them a fight."
The championship web site, which will include live stats during all three weekend matchups, can be found here.