Princeton University Athletics
Men’s Volleyball Introduces No. 9 Ranked Freshmen Class
September 08, 2023 | Men's Volleyball
PRINCETON, N.J. - Head coach Sam Shweisky and the men's volleyball team have picked up a well-versed and strong squad of first years for the 2024 season. The newcomers have been named the VolleyballMag.com No. 9 ranked men's college recruiting class.
"We are so excited to welcome this incoming class of Princeton Volleyball student-athletes to our program. This class brings a wealth of experience, physicality, and expertise to our team. We can't wait for them to take the floor this season!" - Head coach Sam Shweisky
Jameson Vaccaro: 6-4, PIN
Bishops School (San Diego, California)
Before Princeton : Played four years of varsity volleyball, spending three years as the captain at The Bishops School in San Diego, California... 5 years of club volleyball at WAVE Volleyball Club... VolleyMag top 25 underclassmen to watch... VolleyballMag Fab 50 recruit... Volleyball Recruiter Five-Star recruit as well as two-time All American Athlete... AVCA All American 2nd Team... JVA Five star athlete... JVA all-national team... Two-time San Diego All CIF First Team... Coastal League Player of the Year (2023)... Competed with the USA Volleyball U19 national team at the Pan American Games...
Personal: Son of David and Carla Vaccaro... brother to Warner and Tate Vaccaro... Started to play volleyball because of his sister's early passion and never stopped. His dad taught him to pepper and showed him just how fun volleyball could be.
Tristan Whitfield: 6-7, MB
Cape Henry Collegiate (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
Before Princeton: Played one year of varsity volleyball and varsity basketball at Kellam High School before transferring to Cape Henry Collegiate where he completed three more years of both varsity volleyball and basketball...Three-time Conference Player of the Year and Conference all-tournament team selection...VolleyballMag.com top 25 underclassmen to watch...VolleyballMag.com Fab 50 recruit...Two-time Volleyball Recruiter All American...Volleyball Recruiter Five-star recruit...Played two years at Coastal Volleyball Club and one year at The St. James Volleyball Club...Competed with the USA Volleyball U19 national team at both the Pan American Games and the FIVB World Championships.
Personal: Son of Alexander and Kristin Whitfield...eldest brother to Sebastian and Alexa Whitfield...started playing volleyball because his father forced him to go to a high school tryout, Whitfield then fell in love with the sport and joined Coastal VBC the following year.
William Gil: 5-11, PIN
Barbara Goleman Senior High School (Miami, Florida)
Before Princeton: Recorded over 250 kills over four years on varsity volleyball. GMAC Student-Athlete Award. AP Scholar Award 2020-2023. Orgullo de Nuestra Juventud 2023. Silver Knight Award Nominee. AP Capstone Diploma. HSF Scholar.
Personal: Son of William Gil and Elizabeth Alarcon… brother of Benjamin Gil… parents met in Lima, Peru… started playing volleyball because his mother said it's pretty fun.
Nolan Kelly: 6-1, SET
El Segundo High School (El Segundo, California)
Before Princeton: Played four years of varsity volleyball and two years of varsity basketball at El Segundo High School…2023 CIF Southern Section and Southern California Regional Champion… CIF Southern Section player of the year and Southern Region All Tournament Team… Daily Breeze South Bay player of the Year… 5 years of club volleyball at Team Rockstar Volleyball Club… 2019 USAV bronze medal and 2022 AAU bronze medal… 2019, 2021, and 2022 Junior National Championships All Tournament Team.
Personal: Son of Pat and Beth Kelly… brother to Maggie, Joe, and Chris Kelly… Joe Kelly played four years on Princeton Men's Volleyball and Chris Kelly is in his fourth year on Stanford Men's Volleyball… Started his volleyball career playing on the beach with his family.
TRISTAN WHITFIELD
Something unique:
"When I'm not playing volleyball I love to cook. My love for cooking began when my parents would have me make dinner for the family while I was in middle school. Since then I've continued to develop my technique and now regularly enjoy hosting dinner parties with my friends. Some of my favorite dishes to cook include gyoza dumplings, ribeye steak, and lobster bisque."
Why Princeton?
"I was recruited by several schools each with their own quirks and unique opportunities. My family places a great value on education which means that naturally, Princeton would make a good academic fit, however, what sold the idea of committing to Princeton was the volleyball program. I could sense a great family atmosphere within the team and that coupled with a coaching staff who cared deeply for their players. I didn't feel that I could receive such a balance of academic excellence and team culture at any of the other schools I was considering."
What do you hope to bring to the team this season?
"This season I hope I can build onto the team's competitive dynamic, I pride myself in having a "go for every ball" mentality which I hope will add great value in both the practice gym and on the court. I think I bring a different and unique perspective to the middle position being a smaller and quicker player than the usual prototype at the position, this i hope will be a good combination with some of our bigger players."
Pre-Princeton career successes:
"Being a later addition to volleyball I had less of a runway to reach the expected competitive standard expected of those playing the sport at a high level. Despite being at the disadvantage of starting the sport "late" I was able to put in enough work to begin receiving division-one offers at the end of my first club season. This was an incredible personal accomplishment but didn't feel all good as I began to develop impostor syndrome looking around at other athletes who had put in many more years of work than myself yet weren't being shown the same love by college coaches. I eventually worked through these feelings and in good time as I was soon selected for the U19 national team. This came with its own mental and physical adversity but was an incredible experience and opened my eyes to the potential of pursuing volleyball in my post-collegiate career.
Season goals:
"In my first collegiate season, I would of course like to make an impact on the court but more importantly, I would like to find my footing and niche within the team and the university as a whole. As a team I believe our sights should be set on the NCAA tournament, as we return nearly our entire starting lineup I think this is our year to take down some reloading teams and make a run in May."
NOLAN KELLY
Why Princeton?
"I was driven to commit to Princeton by a number of factors, but above all was the community both in the Men's Volleyball Program and around the University as a whole. Inside the team specifically the culture was nothing I had seen before both in volleyball and outside of it. Every player on the team, top to bottom, is driven to make each other better and sees the extremely bright future of this program that continues to get brighter each season. Away from the court, the Men's Volleyball team is a family that loves and cares for each and every member. I felt a sense of welcoming that was impossible to turn down in this team. "
Something unique:
"I love competition and even some adversity. Hardships, especially in sports, make us stronger people as well as athletes and I appreciate challenges as a chance to grow. I love overcoming a challenge and having the opportunity to look back and find joy in how we overcame an obstacle that may have seemed insurmountable."
What do you hope to bring to the team this season?
"I hope to bring my sense of competitiveness and unwillingness to settle for "good enough" to this team. Princeton Men's Volleyball has been building something special for a number of years now and I want to do whatever I can to continue this trajectory. I think we are ready to take our program to the next level and I hope to achieve this. day in and day out I will bring an excitement to get better and push the guy next to me to do the same."
Pre-Princeton career successes:
"I have spent my early volleyball years on some extremely successful and talented teams. My club volleyball years were spent all at Team Rockstar with a group of players who remained relatively unchanged for five years. Twice we finished third place at the National Championships, as well as one fifth place finish. My biggest volleyball success came this past year in my senior year season for El Segundo High School. Our team, which has had some struggle in recent seasons, won 23 straight games on our way to winning the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) Southern Sectional title, as well as the Southern California Regional title. This was only the third time our school had won the Southern Section and the first time we had won the Regional Title. It was an extremely proud and rewarding season to be able to see my four years of hard work at El Segundo high School culminate in something our program has never done before. I hope to continue this massive success into my next season for the Princeton Tigers."
Season goals:
"My goals for this season are to learn and get better both as a person and a player, then eventually win when it matters most. It is unavoidable that a season will be filled with high points and low points. Hardships are expected in a season and my goals is to help the team come out of them stronger and more prepared for whatever comes our way. We have all the tools and talent necessary to reclaim the EIVA championship and make our mark in the NCAA as a whole, which is my ultimate goal for the season."
JAMESON VACCARO
Why Princeton?
"I was fortunate enough to be recruited by many different schools which each had their own strengths and personalities. Princeton was one of the places that had high academic values, and seemed like a very good place to set me up for a career after my college experience. However, what really made me commit to Princeton was the culture of the team. The moment I stepped foot on this campus and met the players I would be competing alongside, I instantly felt a connection that I could find nowhere else. The team looks out for each other in all aspects of life, and the coach pours all of his heart into building this program year by year. The Princeton Men's Volleyball team was a place I knew I could build long-lasting relationships that would exist past my time in college."
Something unique:
"Off the court, I enjoy going to the beach with my friends and soaking up the sun. I grew up playing beach volleyball with a lot of friends that were older than me which definitely trained me to learn the game a lot quicker. I also enjoy playing the guitar on my own... I picked up the hobby over covid and decided to teach myself how to play some of the music from my favorite artists; Rex Orange County, Mac Demarco, and Jack Johnson. I also recently started to DJ which I have been doing a lot more frequently. I love to play and listen to electronic house music and share my passion for song with my friends and family."
What do you hope to bring to the team this season?
"I hope to bring a competitive edge to our squad this season. I am the type of player that loves to compete in the most tense situations, and I love the feeling of coming out on top after investing hours of hard work. More technically, I hope I can continue to improve my serve receive and defense as a smaller outside hitter. However, I know I can add some offensive power in both the front and back row as well as solid blocking from the left side. Most of all, I intend to bring as much positive energy as possible no matter where I am on the court. I can't wait to get in the gym and cheer for my teammates on and off the floor."
Pre-Princeton career successes:
"My biggest success was being invited to train and play with the U19 national team in the Pan Am games in Guatemala. It was the most surreal experience I have had in sports; being able to play with the best players in the country and creating friendships that are still strong today. We ended up winning the gold, and it filled my heart hearing the national anthem play in the background as we stood on the podium. Apart from this, I was fortunate enough to receive division one offers after my 16s year of club, as well as being selected for different awards including the volleymagazine top 25 underclassmen to watch, volleymagazine fab 50 recruits, and 2nd team AVCA All American."
Season goals:
"In my first season here at Princeton, I would love to make an impact on the court in any way I can. However, I know that playing is just one of the many ways I can add to this team. I hope most of all to find a comfortable position on this team, and contribute to the energy that each of us give every day in the gym and during games. As a team, I think the NCAA tournament should be our goal."
WILLIAM GIL
Why Princeton?
"I'm a first generation college student that immigrated from Lima, Peru at five years old. My family always encouraged me to do great in school to potentially apply to schools that will give me the tools needed to succeed. Although I wasn't recruited by Princeton since I'm a walk-on, I was amazed by the undergraduate focus that the university provides its students. This support is unique compared to other universities that may be held in the same breath as Princeton. These reasons were more than enough to convince me that Princeton University is the place to be. Additionally, I knew that Princeton had an exceptional volleyball program, so that only influenced me more to commit as soon as possible."
Something unique:
"When I'm not playing volleyball or studying, I like to write lyrics and create my own songs. This hobby has really allowed me to tap into my more artistic side and expanded the ways I look at the world. I don't have a proper studio to create music, but a regular phone microphone and bluetooth headphones do the job efficiently."
What do you hope to bring to the team this season?
"I strive to be a great teammate and player. I hope I can improve my leadership skills because after all, this is a team game and if everybody doesn't have the right mentality, that can be detrimental to the team. Furthermore, I'm a pretty chill and happy person who often gets very hyped, so I'm always going to bring my high energy on and off the court to create a positive environment. Also, I hope to bring the top performance I know I'm able to bring and develop my skills to be even more useful with every passing day."
Pre-Princeton career successes:
"Before Princeton, I mainly focused on my academics so that I could be competitive when applying. I've achieved many academic accolades such as being a Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar, AP Scholar, AP Capstone Diploma, Yale Young Global Scholar, and recipient of a Harvard Book Award. I also received an award from Univision and gave a 3 minute speech about my background and what I'm grateful for. Lastly, I was awarded a GMAC Scholar–Athlete Award for being the athlete with the highest GPA in my school."
Season goals:
"My main goal for this first season is to help the team in any way possible to get that championship. Whether it's to switch certain positions or keep bringing that infectious positive attitude to the team, I just want to help the team win. Then it would be to develop my volleyball skills and techniques to further my game and potentially get more playing time. My last goal would be to develop great relationships with all my teammates and just spend quality time with them off the court as well."
