Sophomore Trio Powers Princeton Past Sacred Heart 3-1

Saturday, February 24

Princeton, N.J.

4:00 PM

Princeton University

2-11, 1-4EIVA

Sacred Heart

2-8, 0-5EIVA

Sacred Heart

Princeton

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

Sophomore Trio Powers Princeton Past Sacred Heart 3-1

February 24, 2018 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

While Princeton head coach Sam Shweisky was thrilled to see his squad pick up its first EIVA win of the season Saturday afternoon against Sacred Heart, he was even happier with the way the Tigers got it done. His sophomore trio powered the Princeton offense with 41 of the team's 51 kills, and the squad responded to some mid-match adversity with a dominant effort in the fourth to clinch a 3-1 win.

Sophomore Parker Dixon, an All-EIVA performer last season, posted a season-best 20 kills, while classmates George Huhmann (11) and Greg Luck (10) added plenty of offense to lead the Tigers to a 25-14, 25-22, 21-25, 25-18 victory over the Pioneers. The offense was more efficient than it has been at any point this season; the Tigers hit .398 for the match, and they hit .474 in the decisive fourth set.

Freshman Joe Kelly paced the Tigers with 41 assists, while junior libero Corry Short led the team with eight digs. Both Luck and Huhmann added six digs as well, though both were equally efficient as blockers; Luck had six total blocks (two solo), while Huhmann had five (three solo). Junior Oboh added six kills and six blocks to help Princeton pick up its first home win of the season.

Princeton raced out to a 2-0 lead, but Sacred Heart bounced back with its strongest offensive performance in the third game. Unwilling to let their opponents take control of momentum, the Tigers jumped out to a quick lead in the fourth and built it midway through the set to grab their second win of the season.

The win couldn't have come at a better time for the Tigers, who face one of their biggest weekends of the season. Next Friday, Princeton will host St. Francis at 7 pm, and then the Tigers will face reigning EIVA champion Penn State Saturday at 7 pm in Dillon Gym. Admission to both matches is free, and both will be streamed live on the Ivy League Network.

While every home match against Penn State generates the largest crowd of the season, this weekend will have added significance for the Tigers, as they will honor the 1998 EIVA championship team on the 20th anniversary of its run to the NCAA Championships.