Another Super-Huhmann Performance Carries Princeton To A Thriller Over Harvard, Keeps Tigers Atop EIVA

Friday, April 5

Princeton, N.J.

7:00 PM

Princeton University

Harvard

Photo by: @fabianabeatrizphoto

Another Super-Huhmann Performance Carries Princeton To A Thriller Over Harvard, Keeps Tigers Atop EIVA

April 05, 2019 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Give Princeton credit, the Tigers are making a run to the top of the East as exciting as it could possibly be.

In a match when the first-place Princeton men's volleyball team needed an All-American effort to fend off a desperate Harvard team, the Tigers turned to the most natural person of all — their All-American. Junior George Huhmann had one of the most dominant efforts of his stellar career, recording 28 kills and hitting .471 in a 29-27, 17-25, 25-20, 17-25, 15-13 victory over Harvard Friday night in Dillon Gym.

The victory moved Princeton to 10-1 in the EIVA, which keeps the Tigers one match ahead of Penn State and two ahead of Saint Francis in the race for home court in the conference playoffs. Princeton, which hosts Sacred Heart Saturday at 5 pm on ESPN+, will welcome both of those teams to Dillon Gym next weekend for the final weekend of the regular season.

If that also happens to be the final weekend of Harvard's season, the Crimson will look back on Friday night's thriller with regret. The Crimson let a pair of set balls slip away in a dramatic 29-27 opener, and then after two wild digs on match point, they sent a swing beyond the end line to fall to 5-6 in EIVA play. A George Mason loss at Saint Francis keeps Harvard in the mix, though the Crimson margin of error is minimal now.

Princeton wins another @EIVAVolleyball thriller to stay in FIRST PLACE! Check out match point to claim a season sweep of Harvard tonight! pic.twitter.com/orAHVQVDhn
— PrincetonVolley (@PrincetonVolley) April 6, 2019

While Huhmann had the most spectacular performance — one that should put him in the thick of the EIVA Player of the Year race — there were plenty of other strong performances. Two-time Offensive Player of the Week — and another Player of the Year candidate — Parker Dixon had 18 kills and hit .455, while sophomore Joe Kelly had 55 assists and seven digs. Both Kendall Ratter and Greg Luck had eight digs apiece, while Billy Andrew matched Huhmann with a team-best three blocks.

After a dominant fourth-set win evened the match at 2-2, Princeton grabbed control of the fifth. The Tigers never trailed after a 2-1 deficit, but they did need to withstand a late 4-0 Crimson run to hold on for their 10th EIVA win.