Princeton Heads North, Puts First Place On The Line In First EIVA Road Weekend

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After a rousing start to its EIVA season, the first-place Princeton men's volleyball team will make its first road trip in conference play this weekend when it heads to both Harvard and Sacred Heart, the latter of which could be a showdown for the top spot in league play heading into March.

Of course, Princeton is hardly thinking about Saturday right now, not when a showdown with the Crimson is looming first.

Princeton (5-6, 3-1 EIVA) turned several heads over the last two weeks when it opened its league slate with wins over both reigning conference finalists (George Mason and Saint Francis), as well as a victory over NJIT. In fact, the Tigers were a point away from a perfect start, though Penn State rallied for a 3-2 win in Dillon Gym. Regardless, Princeton showed that its young lineup may be ready to compete with the top level in the league sooner than expected.

Actually, it was more than just the league that noticed. Freshman Parker Dixon became the first Princeton player in 19 years to earn the Division I-II Sports Imports/AVCA Player of the Week honor after averaging 4.4 kills, 4.6 points, and hitting .441 in 3-1 wins over both NJIT and reigning league champion George Mason. Classmate George Huhmann earned EIVA Defensive Player of the Week honors after a nearly perfect performance against George Mason; he blocked nine shots — including four solo — and went a perfect 10-for-10 on swings during the four-set win.

Now the test becomes repeating these performances on the road, and it starts at a place Princeton hasn't won since 2010. Harvard (4-5, 2-2 EIVA) has 3-2 comeback wins over both George Mason and Saint Francis this season, the latter of which featured a balanced offensive attack with four Crimson players recording between 10-13 kills apiece. The Crimson have won five of the last seven meetings against Princeton, and they have seven straight home victories over the Tigers. The match, which begins at 7 pm Friday, will be streamed live on the Ivy League Digital Network.

If Princeton can end that streak, and if Sacred Heart tops NJIT Friday, then those two teams would meet Saturday at 4 pm for first place outright in the EIVA. Sacred Heart (10-2, 3-1) didn't have the most challenging early-season schedule, but the Pioneers more than answered their doubters with a 3-1 road win at Penn State. Saturday's match would feature two of the league's premier hitters; Sacred Heart's Christopher DeLucie ranks second in the league in kills (3.82) and first in hitting percentage (.344), while Princeton's Kendall Ratter ranks fourth in kills (3.61) and second in hitting percentage (.328).

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Parker Dixon

George Huhmann

Kendall Ratter