Princeton University Athletics
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Tigers Play At Keystone State Pair, Including #7 PSU, During EIVA Weekend
February 16, 2016 | Men's Volleyball
The Princeton men's volleyball team stands at 2-5 on the young season, but it won the two that mattered most. The Tigers are 2-0, one of three EIVA teams without a league loss, and would love nothing more than to keep that trend alive after this weekend.
The Tigers will play two more EIVA road matches this weekend, beginning Friday at 7 pm at Saint Francis. Following that match, the team will take the short trip to State College to face the seventh-ranked (and EIVA unbeaten) Penn State Nittany Lions Saturday at 4 pm.
Princeton has played a frontloaded schedule this season; three of its five losses have come to teams currently ranked in the AVCA Top 6: #2 BYU, #3 UCLA and #6 Ohio State. Naturally, the seventh-ranked Nittany Lions should come this weekend in an early-season showdown.
First up, however, is a Friday match with Saint Francis. The Red Flash made its first appeance in the AVCA Top 15 last weekend, thanks in part to wins over the likes of Lewis, IPFW and Ball State. However, that momentum has not traveled in EIVA play yet; following a loss to Penn State, Saint Francis went on the road and lost to both Sacred Heart and Harvard last weekend.
The Tigers know they'll get the best of the Red Flash this weekend, as they won't want to dig too deep a hole in EIVA play.
The #7 Nittany Lions don't have to worry about that, but they are looking to create some momentum to begin an 11-match homestand, which starts this weekend. Penn State has one of the top hitters in the EIVA in junior Chris Nugent. He averages 4.21 kills, the seventh-best total in the NCAA, while classmate Matt Callaway ranks in the Top 20 in blocks this season with just below 1.1 per set.
Princeton has two seniors who rank in the Top 10 in two individual statistical categories. Four-year starter Devin Stearns ranks ninth in the NCAA in kills (4.05), while new starting libero Michael Bagnell is eighth in the NCAA with 2.61 digs per set.
You can watch a live stream of the Penn State match here.