Princeton University Athletics
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Volleyball Moves Back To .500 Mark With Sweep Of Harvard
March 14, 2009 | Men's Volleyball
It's been years since the men's volleyball programs from Princeton and Harvard met, but the Tigers made sure they made Friday night's rivalry renewal count. Led by 14 kills from senior Phil Rosenberg, Princeton swept Harvard 30-22, 33-31, 30-20 to move back to the .500 mark.
Princeton head coach Glenn Nelson was happy to see a familiar face on the Crimson sideline, as Harvard is led by first-year head coach and former Tiger volleyball player Brian Baise '95. Baise has done a nice job helping Harvard out to a 6-5 start, but Princeton was in desperate need of a win. Six of Princeton's final seven matches will be against EIVA Tait rivals, including two against 2009 NCAA champion Penn State.
Rosenberg led Princeton with 14 kills, while senior middle Mike Vincent had 12 kills. Junior rightside Carl Hamming recorded eight kills and four blocks, while classmate Jeff McCown recorded nine kills and three blocks from the middle. Senior setter Brandon Denham recorded 43 assists in the win and added seven digs.
The closest set of the match came second, as the Crimson went on a 9-0 run to turn a huge deficit into a one-point lead. Princeton bounced back and turned the set into a sideout affair until Princeton won the final two points after a 31-31 tie. Reserve Keenan McCarthy came in late in the third and ran off a long scoring run to put the third and final set away.
Princeton is now off for two weeks; the Tigers will return March 27 at Penn State.