Princeton University Athletics
Friday, March 31
University Park, Pa.
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/ Men's Volleyball
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/ Men's Volleyball
Photo by: Beverly Schaefer
Princeton Makes EIVA Return With Crucial Road Trip To #13 Penn State, St. Francis
March 29, 2017 | Men's Volleyball
EIVA LINKS: Standings l League Leaders
WEEKEND LIVE STATS: Penn State l Saint Francis
After a three-week break from EIVA play, the Princeton men's volleyball team is primed and ready for the final sprint that it hopes will land it among the four teams vying for the 2017 EIVA Championship April 20-22. That sprint will start in Rec Hall, where Penn State just pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the NCAA volleyball season.
Go big or go home, right?
Princeton (10-10, 6-3 EIVA) currently shares second place in the league with NJIT, and both stand one half game behind Penn State. There are five teams with either three or four losses heading into the weekend — a group that doesn't include reigning EIVA champion George Mason, a five-loss team that will host its next five league matches.
In other words, every spot is up for grabs, and plenty will come into focus this weekend. Travel partners Princeton and NJIT share second place, and both will be on the road to play first-place Penn State (6-2 EIVA) and Saint Francis (4-4). Harvard (4-4) will play a pair at Charleston, while Sacred Heart (6-3) plays two at George Mason (3-5).
There will be plenty of time to analyze scenarios after the weekend, but Princeton knows it controls its own destiny, and it can take a big step towards returning to the EIVA postseason this weekend. The Tigers will start at Penn State, which is coming off a 3-2 home win over No. 1 Ohio State Tuesday night. While the Nittany Lions, led by top hitter Chris Nugent (3.4 kills per set), will be confident after the Buckeye victory, Princeton will go into the match knowing it went toe-to-toe with Penn State in the first meeting. The Tigers even served a match ball in the fourth set, though Penn State rallied to win in five.
While the Princeton-Penn State matches rarely disappoint, Saturday's showdown against Saint Francis could have even greater implications in the postseason race. Princeton currently leads the Red Flash by one in the loss column, and a victory Saturday would clinch a season sweep and, if needed, the tiebreaker should the two teams finish tied at the end of the season. The first meeting in Dillon Gym was a thriller; Kendall Ratter had 26 kills in a five-set win, which ended 16-14 in the finale.
The Tigers may have been off from league competition, but they remained sharp by playing three matches against teams either in or just outside the AVCA Top 15. Princeton opened with a hard-fought 3-1 loss to third-ranked BYU, and then it split a pair of matches against Grand Canyon, which was just outside the Top 15. Junior Oboh had a standout performance from the middle blocker position, and he earned his second EIVA Defensive Player of the Week award during March.
WEEKEND LIVE STATS: Penn State l Saint Francis
After a three-week break from EIVA play, the Princeton men's volleyball team is primed and ready for the final sprint that it hopes will land it among the four teams vying for the 2017 EIVA Championship April 20-22. That sprint will start in Rec Hall, where Penn State just pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the NCAA volleyball season.
Go big or go home, right?
Princeton (10-10, 6-3 EIVA) currently shares second place in the league with NJIT, and both stand one half game behind Penn State. There are five teams with either three or four losses heading into the weekend — a group that doesn't include reigning EIVA champion George Mason, a five-loss team that will host its next five league matches.
In other words, every spot is up for grabs, and plenty will come into focus this weekend. Travel partners Princeton and NJIT share second place, and both will be on the road to play first-place Penn State (6-2 EIVA) and Saint Francis (4-4). Harvard (4-4) will play a pair at Charleston, while Sacred Heart (6-3) plays two at George Mason (3-5).
There will be plenty of time to analyze scenarios after the weekend, but Princeton knows it controls its own destiny, and it can take a big step towards returning to the EIVA postseason this weekend. The Tigers will start at Penn State, which is coming off a 3-2 home win over No. 1 Ohio State Tuesday night. While the Nittany Lions, led by top hitter Chris Nugent (3.4 kills per set), will be confident after the Buckeye victory, Princeton will go into the match knowing it went toe-to-toe with Penn State in the first meeting. The Tigers even served a match ball in the fourth set, though Penn State rallied to win in five.
While the Princeton-Penn State matches rarely disappoint, Saturday's showdown against Saint Francis could have even greater implications in the postseason race. Princeton currently leads the Red Flash by one in the loss column, and a victory Saturday would clinch a season sweep and, if needed, the tiebreaker should the two teams finish tied at the end of the season. The first meeting in Dillon Gym was a thriller; Kendall Ratter had 26 kills in a five-set win, which ended 16-14 in the finale.
The Tigers may have been off from league competition, but they remained sharp by playing three matches against teams either in or just outside the AVCA Top 15. Princeton opened with a hard-fought 3-1 loss to third-ranked BYU, and then it split a pair of matches against Grand Canyon, which was just outside the Top 15. Junior Oboh had a standout performance from the middle blocker position, and he earned his second EIVA Defensive Player of the Week award during March.
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