Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
St. Francis
Players Mentioned
Volleyball Picks Up Key Road Win, Remains Second In The EIVA Standings
March 28, 2015 | Men's Volleyball
The Friday night encounter with Penn State was the match that drew the attention, but the Princeton men's volleyball team knew that Saturday's showdown at Saint Francis may have been even more meaningful in the long-term success of the season.
Thanks to a dramatic opening set that went the Tigers' way, those long-term goals are still in focus.
Princeton built a three-match lead in the EIVA loss column over Saint Francis Saturday with a 3-0 (32-30, 25-16, 25-22) victory in Loretto, Pa. The Red Flash is currently in fifth place in the league, one spot outside of the postseason. If the Tigers can maintain that advantage, they seem to be in good position to return to the postseason for a fourth straight time.
"This win was big," said four-year starter Will Siroky. "They're always on the cusp of the playoff picture, so getting a win, especially in their gym, puts us in a good position to get into the playoffs, and get a good seed. It was also important for momentum. We had lost a few matches in a row against some tough opponents, and that always weighs on a team. Getting one back in the win column feels good for everyone."
Princeton bounced back from its loss at Penn State with one of its most balanced efforts of the season. Junior Devin Stearns, who has been playing his best volleyball of the season over the last two weeks, had a team-best 11 kills, while Siroky had eight kills and six blocks with hitting .636 for the match.
Senior Cody Kessel and sophomores Junior Oboh and Kurt Thiemann each had six kills apiece, while Kessel added six digs, four blocks and three aces in the win. Senior libero Tony Ensbury had eight digs, while sophomore Chris Kennedy paced the offense with 33 assists.
The first set was a critical for both teams. Saint Francis had five set balls, but Princeton saved all five, including one on a combo block by seniors Kessel and Siroky. Another combo block by Siroky and Thiemann gave Princeton its first set ball, and the Tigers were able to side out until 31-30, when Stearns killed the final ball of the set.
"As much as we try to treat every point the same, there's a different energy on set points," Siroky said. "There's no room for mistakes. Playing through so many set points in the first set helped us refocus our energy, and tighten up some of our loose play. The next two sets were a lot cleaner for us, and I think battling through the end of the first set helped us improve in the next two."
The Tigers raced out to a 9-4 lead in the second set and never looked back, but the third set was tight throughout. The Red Flash cut a late deficit to one point on two occasions, but they never drew even, and Siroky ended the match with a kill off a Kennedy assist.
Princeton can take another big step towards returning to the EIVA postseason next weekend when it travels to both Sacred Heart and Harvard.
"At this level, games are won by serving and passing better than the other team," Siroky said. "We've known all year that it's going to come down to our serving and passing in the playoffs. It was the deciding factor in both of our matches this weekend. Our serving took a big dip this weekend, so we are going to look to get back on track this week, and build some momentum in the practice gym to take into Harvard and Sacred Heart next weekend."