Princeton University Athletics
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Early EIVA Showdown Highlights Home Debut Weekend For Men's Volleyball
February 11, 2015 | Men's Volleyball
The early-season victory over 13th-ranked Cal-State Northridge was a positive sign for a Princeton team coming off a trip to the 2014 EIVA final. With all due respect to the Matadors, though, another win over a 13th-ranked program Friday would be far sweeter.
| Dates • Times | Harvard: Feb. 13, 7 pm • Sacred Heart: Feb. 14, 4 pm |
| Weekend Links | Live Video l Live Stats l @PrincetonVolley l @PUTigers_Live |
| Rosters | Princeton l Harvard l Sacred Heart |
| Schedules | Princeton l Harvard l Sacred Heart |
| Statistics | Princeton l Harvard l Sacred Heart |
| EIVA Update | Standings l Statistics l Cumulative Schedule |
Princeton, coming off a 3-0 win at NJIT to open EIVA play last Friday, will host No. 13 Harvard (Friday, 7) and Sacred Heart (Saturday, 4) this weekend. Both matches will be streamed live on the Ivy League Digital Network (see link in chart).
The Tigers are 3-4 on the season, though five of their first seven matches have come against nationally ranked competition. Princeton will enter the weekend on a two-match win streak, but it also has the confidence that came from the 2014 EIVA semifinal 3-1 win over Harvard. Princeton hit .352 in the match and got 18 digs from All-EIVA libero Tony Ensbury, a two-time member of the U.S. Junior National Team.
Harvard is 5-3 on the season; like Princeton, each of the Crimson's losses have come against nationally ranked competition. Also like Princeton, Harvard has one nationally ranked win this season, a 3-0 win over 14th-ranked Ball State.
While the team rivalry has grown with the introduction of an unofficial "Ivy League Trophy," which stays with the winner of each Harvard-Princeton meeting, there is no shortage of interesting individual matchups to watch.
Princeton senior Cody Kessel, an Honorable Mention All-America in 2014, currently leads the EIVA and ranks second nationally with 4.65 kills and 5.5 points per set. Harvard senior D.J. White isn't far behind, as he ranks third in the EIVA in kills (3.68) and fourth in points (4.1). Both have been consistent figures on the All-East teams, and both have already been named EIVA Offensive Player of the Week early this season.
There will be a terrific meeting at the net as well; Harvard senior Caleb Zimmick currently leads the EIVA with 1.08 blocks per set, while Princeton sophomore Junior Oboh ranks second with 1.05. As a team, Harvard has a clear lead on the field with 2.5 blocks per set, and it has three individuals ranked in the Top 5; it will be a strong test for a Princeton unit that hit .441 last weekend in its win at NJIT.
Sacred Heart is led by senior outside Enzo Mackenzie, who leads the Pioneers with 3.64 kills per set. Sophomore Eduardo Zardo paces the offense with 9.36 assists per set.