Princeton University
4-2,0-0EIVA
BYU
6-1,0-0MPSF
Men's Volleyball Drops First Match Against No. 8 BYU
January 22, 2024 | Men's Volleyball
PROVO, UT - In a Monday night volleyball showdown at Smith Fieldhouse against 8th-ranked BYU, the Tigers, despite recording more kills than the Cougars (32 to 31), experienced a straight-set defeat 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, and 25-21).
Smith Fieldhouse was buzzing with excitement throughout this top-15 matchup. In the opening set, the Tigers quickly took a 3-1 lead, and Owen Mellon delivered a powerful momentum-building kill, pushing their advantage to 4-2.
At 8-8, Princeton embarked on a 4-0 run marked by four blocks—three by Ryan Vena, one by Nolan Kelly, and another by Owen Mellon. The streak concluded with a decisive kill from Ben Harrington, bringing the score to 5. Impressively, the Tigers secured 6.5 blocks within the initial 13 points of the match.
With a 15-10 advantage for Princeton, the Cougars initiated a 4-0 run, narrowing the Tigers' lead to just one. However, Ryan Vena's decisive kill shifted the scoring momentum back in Princeton's favor. Gavin Leising secured his first point of the match with a one-handed set from Nolan Kelly, delivering a powerful kill to bring the score to 17-15.
At 18-18, the Cougars leveled the score and then claimed their first lead at 19-18. Despite their best efforts, the Tigers were unable to regain control, ultimately falling 25-23 in the first set. Harrington led in the first set with 5 kills followed by Owen Mellon with 3.
Nyherowo picked up his third kill of the night to give the Tigers a 4-3 lead in the beginning of the second set. The Tigers and Cougars began a back and forth scoring fight all the way to with no team taking more than a two-point lead until BYU took its largest lead at 17-11.
The Tigers were able to get within striking distance of BYU with the score at 16-20, trailing by 4, but were unable to overcome the deficit and fell 25-19 in the second set. Nyherowo picked up 6 kills int he second set.
Ben Harrington picked up the first point of the third set with a service ace, yet the Tigers found themselves trailing on the scoreboard. Through a combination of scores, a service ace from Nyherowo, and a kill from Harrington, Princeton swiftly staged a comeback, closing in on the Cougars at 13-14.
Down 18-23, the Tigers managed to go on a 3-0 run off of three kills from Whitfield, Omene, and Mellon, but although Princeton managed to add these points to their tally, they couldn't surpass BYU's momentum and ultimately fell in the third set, 25-21.
Up Next
The Tigers are back in action against No. 8 BYU tomorrow night (Jan. 23rd) at 9:00 P.M. ET / 7:00 P.M. MT. The Tigers will host their first home opponent against No. 17 UC Santa Barbara (2-5) on Jan. 31 in Provo, Utah, at 7 p.m. in Dillon Gym.
