Princeton University Athletics
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Senior Trio, Deep Squad Looks To Take Final Step During Volleyball Season
January 22, 2015 | Men's Volleyball
Princeton defeats No. 13 Cal State-Northridge l Kessel Wins Offensive Player of the Week
Head coach Sam Shweisky on TigerCast l @PrincetonVolley
There has been no shortage of highs during the Princeton run of Tony Ensbury, Cody Kessel and Will Siroky, the four-year starters who have almost done it all during their time in Orange and Black. But almost is a word they want to change, and they believe they have the team to do so.
First, a bit more on this senior trio.
• Prior to their arrival on campus for the 2012 season, Princeton had defeated three nationally ranked teams in 13 seasons. Since then, Princeton has defeated four.
• Prior to their arrival on campus, Princeton had not defeated Penn State since the 1998 EIVA semifinal. Then this happened last season.
• In 2011, Princeton won three matches. In 2012, the Tigers won 13, and they haven't won fewer than that in any year since.
• Princeton hadn't produced three straight winning seasons this century until the last three, when the Tigers went 13-10, 13-10, 16-10.
Ultimately, that is the final piece to the puzzle, the final step on the journey.
It won't be easy (more on this later), but Princeton feels good about it's chances.
Despite the loss of outside Pat Schwagler, one of the most explosive hitters in the East, Princeton has its share of point producers on the outside. Kessel, who has played opposite most of his career, ranked third in the EIVA in both kills/set (3.52) and points/set (4.0) last season; both marks ranked in the Top 30 nationally. He is a big-match player, as shown by his placement on the 2014 EIVA All-Tournament team.
Junior Devin Stearns earned second-team All-EIVA honors last season, and he proved in one night just how important he could be. Stearns' best match came in the upset of Penn State, when he recorded 18 kills, three blocks and two aces, and hit .353 for the match. When he's on his game, he demands attention from an opponent that also needs to account for every step Kessel takes.
The void left by Schwagler's graduation is a significant one, and Shweisky will likely test out multiple options throughout the season. Junior Michael Bagnell and freshman Kendall Ratter will both be in that mix; the latter played a big role in the win over Northridge, as he served Princeton back into contention after the Tigers found themselves in a fifth-set deficit.
Siroky is one of the team's ultimate leaders on and off the court, and he is a steady force from the middle position. Last season, he ranked eighth in the EIVA with .92 blocks per set; his attack percentage of .375 would have ranked fifth, but he didn't have enough attempts to qualify for the league leaders.
Joining Siroky in the middle was Junior Oboh, one of the top freshmen in the league last season, when he ranked fourth in the EIVA with 1.15 blocks per set. He showed poise beyond his years in his postseason debut, when he hit 8-for-9 (.889) with seven blocks in Princeton's EIVA semifinal win over Harvard.
The middle position has as much depth as it has had during Shweisky's six years as head coach. That group includes the freshman trio of Billy Andrew, Mike Fuerst and Trey Sickler, any of whom could have a big impact on the program's future. But one may be called on this season as well, and not simply for injurt concerns; the versatility of both Kessel and Siroky allow Shweisky multiple options on the court.
Ensbury has been the starting libero from Day 1, and he has honed his craft during two years on the U.S. Junior National Team. Besides being the back-row defensive leader, he is a vocal, emotional leader on the court; Shweisky specifically credited him with getting Princeton out early in the semifinal win over Harvard. With some of the top hitters lurking in the EIVA, Ensbury will be invaluable this season.
Like Oboh, Chris Kennedy had a huge freshman impact last season, and he should be able to build off that experience and the chemistry he developed with several teammates. He ranked second in the EIVA with 10.4 assists per set; that would have ranked 16th nationally, but he missed the qualification standard by one game. Shweisky has also been impressed with the work of fellow sophomore setter Jonah May, who is making his claim for playing time this preseason.
That group will return to California this weekend to start a challenging three-match run, which includes showdowns at No. 3 UC-Irvine (Jan. 26, 7 pm PT) and No. 9 UCLA (Jan. 25, 7 pm PT). A win over either would give Princeton two nationally ranked wins before the Tigers played one match on the east coast.
The EIVA season starts Feb. 6 at NJIT, and it will be a challenging one. All four of last year's semifinalists return key components, which could set up one of the best postseasons in league history.
And that is fine with Princeton. The final step shouldn't be easy.
That would make it all the sweeter if they could take it — and the EIVA title.