Princeton University Athletics
Photo by: Beverly Schaefer
Princeton Picked Atop EIVA Preseason Poll For First Time
December 18, 2018 | Men's Volleyball
The Princeton volleyball team made a dramatic push to the 2018 EIVA championship match, and that finish grabbed the attention of coaches around the league. Those memories, and the knowledge of who was returning to the Tigers in 2019, led the league coaches to vote Princeton atop the EIVA preseason poll — though the poll is as close as any in league history.
Ironically, the Tigers received only the third-most first-place votes in the eight-team poll; both Penn State and George Mason received three apiece, while Princeton had two. The Tigers were high enough in the full collection of polls, however, to earn the #1 spot for the first time in the history of the EIVA preseason poll.
"While it is very humbling and exciting to be picked to win the EIVA in the preseason poll, any coach worth their salt will tell you they would rather be ranked #1 in the last poll of the season than the first one," said head coach Sam Shweisky as he prepares for his 10th season leading the Princeton men. "The EIVA promises to be incredibly competitive this year with the most parity it has seen in several decades. I think the reason that the coaches voting had no clear favorite this season is because it accurately reflects the state of the EIVA and more broadly men's volleyball across the nation.
"With the speed and athleticism of the game increasing and more and more teams acquiring top talent, the truth is that any team in our league top to bottom is capable of winning against any other team on any given night," Shweisky added. "Even more than in years past, the teams that can show consistency and maturity in how they play every night will make a huge impact on who makes it to the EIVA Final Four in April. This level of parity should make for a very exciting EIVA season."
Princeton will be led by two-time All-EIVA standout George Huhmann, who already had 561 kills in his career while hitting .318. Huhmann, who received All-America honorable mention after leading the Tigers to the 2018 EIVA final last season, averaged more than 4.5 points per set last season. Classmates Parker Dixon (2017 All-EIVA honoree) and Greg Luck (2018 EIVA All-Tournament team) bring both talent and veteran poise to the lineup, which returns six starters from last season.
For the first time in program history, Princeton will play its season opener in December, as the Tigers will face #6 Pepperdine on the 30th. As usual, Shweisky will have his team highly tested for the EIVA gauntlet, as Princeton is set to play more than half the teams in the AVCA Preseason Top 15, including #2 UCLA (Jan. 2, 10 pm ET, Pac-12 Network), #3 Hawaii (March 22), #5 BYU (March 21) and a March 9 home match against #7 Lewis (ESPN+).
EIVA Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Princeton (2 1st-place votes, 56 points)
2. Penn State (3 1st-place votes, 53 points)
3. George Mason (3 1st-place votes, 51 points)
4. NJIT (47 points)
5. Harvard (29)
6. Saint Francis (25)
7. Charleston (17)
8. Sacred Heart (10)
Ironically, the Tigers received only the third-most first-place votes in the eight-team poll; both Penn State and George Mason received three apiece, while Princeton had two. The Tigers were high enough in the full collection of polls, however, to earn the #1 spot for the first time in the history of the EIVA preseason poll.
"While it is very humbling and exciting to be picked to win the EIVA in the preseason poll, any coach worth their salt will tell you they would rather be ranked #1 in the last poll of the season than the first one," said head coach Sam Shweisky as he prepares for his 10th season leading the Princeton men. "The EIVA promises to be incredibly competitive this year with the most parity it has seen in several decades. I think the reason that the coaches voting had no clear favorite this season is because it accurately reflects the state of the EIVA and more broadly men's volleyball across the nation.
"With the speed and athleticism of the game increasing and more and more teams acquiring top talent, the truth is that any team in our league top to bottom is capable of winning against any other team on any given night," Shweisky added. "Even more than in years past, the teams that can show consistency and maturity in how they play every night will make a huge impact on who makes it to the EIVA Final Four in April. This level of parity should make for a very exciting EIVA season."
Princeton will be led by two-time All-EIVA standout George Huhmann, who already had 561 kills in his career while hitting .318. Huhmann, who received All-America honorable mention after leading the Tigers to the 2018 EIVA final last season, averaged more than 4.5 points per set last season. Classmates Parker Dixon (2017 All-EIVA honoree) and Greg Luck (2018 EIVA All-Tournament team) bring both talent and veteran poise to the lineup, which returns six starters from last season.
For the first time in program history, Princeton will play its season opener in December, as the Tigers will face #6 Pepperdine on the 30th. As usual, Shweisky will have his team highly tested for the EIVA gauntlet, as Princeton is set to play more than half the teams in the AVCA Preseason Top 15, including #2 UCLA (Jan. 2, 10 pm ET, Pac-12 Network), #3 Hawaii (March 22), #5 BYU (March 21) and a March 9 home match against #7 Lewis (ESPN+).
EIVA Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Princeton (2 1st-place votes, 56 points)
2. Penn State (3 1st-place votes, 53 points)
3. George Mason (3 1st-place votes, 51 points)
4. NJIT (47 points)
5. Harvard (29)
6. Saint Francis (25)
7. Charleston (17)
8. Sacred Heart (10)
Players Mentioned
Wednesday, September 24
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Wednesday, June 22
Monday, June 06