Princeton Sweeps Sacred Heart, Needs One Win To Clinch Home Court For EIVA Playoffs

Saturday, April 6

Princeton, N.J.

5:00 PM

Princeton University

13-12, 11-1EIVA

Sacred Heart

3-15, 1-11EIVA

Sacred Heart

Princeton

Photo by: @fabianabeatrizphoto

Princeton Sweeps Sacred Heart, Needs One Win To Clinch Home Court For EIVA Playoffs

April 06, 2019 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

Junior All-American George Huhmann followed his brilliant 28-kill performance in Friday's thriller over Harvard with another dominant showing Saturday, posting 12 kills, four blocks and four digs in a 25-13, 25-22, 25-21 victory over Sacred Heart. The win assured Princeton (13-12, 11-1 EIVA) the top spot in the EIVA standings heading into the final weekend of the regular season, when the Tigers will host the two closest teams in the Eastern race.

Hours later, that margin grew when 15th-ranked George Mason swept Penn State 3-0 in State College. Princeton will face both Saint Francis (Friday, 7 pm) and Penn State (Saturday, 7 pm) next weekend; both teams enter the weekend with matching 9-3 league records, meaning one victory would clinch Princeton as the host school for the EIVA playoffs for the first time in program history. Saint Francis is the only team to own an EIVA win over Princeton, while Penn State is the only team that could win a three-team tiebreaker if it broke that way. Since both teams also have to play NJIT, all three are still in contention to host the postseason.

Both of next weekend's matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.

Huhmann hit .429 against Sacred Heart during a highly efficient day for the Princeton offense; the team hit .338 for the match and saw four different players record at least five kills. Senior Kendall Ratter had nine, while junior Parker Dixon added eight. Classmate Greg Luck had five kills, but he also led the defensive effort with nine digs. Princeton had a 27-20 advantage in digs, which helped limit Sacred Heart to a .227 hitting percentage.

Freshman Jerod Nelsen had three of Princeton's nine aces, while Huhmann, Luck and freshman Brady Wedbush had two aces apiece.