Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
N.Y.U.
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Men's Volleyball Heads Toward Key Friday Match With 3-1 Victory
March 31, 2010 | Men's Volleyball
Men's volleyball head coach Sam Shweisky is well aware of how important Friday's home match against George Mason will be, and the last thing he wanted to do was get there on a three-match losing streak. Princeton moved back above the .500 mark with a resilient effort at NYU in a 3-1 victory.
Following Tait Division road losses at both Penn State and Saint Francis, Princeton went back on the road Tuesday night to take on NYU. As if its recent road struggles weren't enough of a burden, the Tigers also had to overcome a disappointing first-set loss; despite four different set balls, Princeton lost a marathon 39-37 opener.
Princeton refused to fold and bounced back with wins of 30-26, 30-28, 30-23 to clinch the win. The victory moves the Tigers to 8-7 overall and brings some momentum back for a squad still battling for a postseason spot when it takes on traditional EIVA power George Mason Friday at 7 p.m.
After playing a mostly even second set, Princeton ran off four straight points to build a 26-22 lead. A pair of blocks from Carl Hamming led the surge, and a kill from red-hot freshman Pat Schwagler evened the match at one set apiece.
The third set would be crucial, and Princeton knew it. The Tigers jumped out early and held a 15-10 lead after consecutive kills by Vincent Tuminelli. The Violets fought back and cut the deficit to one point on two occasions, including 29-28, but another Tuminelli kill put the game away. Princeton ran away late in the fourth and used three straight blocks to finish the victory.
Schwagler ended the match with 17 kills, while fellow freshman Michael Dye recorded 10 kills, eight blocks and hit .562 for the match. A third freshman starter, Sean Cotter, added 11 disg in the win. Senior Jeff McCown recorded 14 kills, while sophomore setter Scott Liljestrom had 48 assists.
Princeton has three Tait Division matches remaining, including two with George Mason. If Princeton is able to win all three, it would clinch the second seed in the EIVA playoffs. The teams seeded second and third would be on the other side of Penn State in the postseason.