Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
George Mason
Players Mentioned
Volleyball Saves Best For Last, Tops Mason 3-1 In Regular-Season Finale
April 18, 2009 | Men's Volleyball
Road victories have been few and far between for the Princeton men's volleyball team, but the Tigers will go into the 2009 EIVA postseason with some positive energy following one of its best road wins of the season. With five players recording at least 10 kills, Princeton knocked off George Mason 3-1 in the 2009 regular season finale.
Senior captain Brandon Denham recorded 73 assists, while classmate Mike Vincent added 18 kills, five blocks and a .640 hitting percentage to lead Princeton to a 30-26, 30-28, 27-30, 30-23 victory over the 2008 EIVA finalists. The win ends the 2009 Princeton regular season with a 10-11 overall record and a 4-8 mark in the Tait Division. George Mason falls to 11-15, 4-7 in the Tait.
Five Princeton players had double-digit kills, led by junior Jeff McCown. The junior middle recorded 19 kills and hit .519, while fellow middle Vincent recorded 18 kills on only 25 swings. Senior Phillip Rosenberg recorded 15 kills, while fellow outside Vincent Tuminelli had 11 kills and a team-best 11 digs. Junior Carl Hamming continued his strong play with 18 kills and 10 digs, while senior Ka'ohu Berg-Hee added 10 digs. Defensively, Princeton did a nice job making sure the Mason supporting cast did not overwhelm the Tigers; while Mason's all-league hitter Kyle Gramit recorded 22 kills, no other player had more than nine kills.
After winning a close first game, Princeton needed strong play late to build a 2-0 lead. With the second set tied at 26-26, Princeton built a two-point advantage on a Vincent kill and a hitting error by the Patriots. From that point, the Tigers needed to play sideout ball, and kills by Tuminelli and McCown assured the Tigers a 2-0 lead. George Mason took the third set, but a long early service run by Hamming helped the Tigers build a fourth-set lead that they would never relinquish.
In all likelihood, the win will provide more of a mental edge heading into the postseason, as opposed to a change in the playoff standings. Princeton is finished with Tait Division play with eight losses, while George Mason has seven losses with one match left. That match is a home contest against winless NJIT; a Mason win would leave Princeton as the sixth seed and set up a home match Wednesday against Rutgers-Newark, which won the EIVA Hay Division with a 3-0 victory over Harvard Friday night. Princeton defeated Rutgers-Newark 3-1 in the regular season.