Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
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Queens University of Charlotte
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Men's Volleyball Bests Queens University of Charlotte, Harrington Sets NCAA Single-Match Ace Record
January 08, 2024 | Men's Volleyball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Princeton men's volleyball team clinched their inaugural victory of the 2024 season on Monday night, defeating the Queens University of Charlotte Royals in straight sets, 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-20).
Leading the charge, Ben Harrington etched his name into the NCAA record books by breaking the single-match aces record. Notching 13 service aces in tonight's match, Harrington delivered a a historic and remarkable performance. The record, previously 11, was accomplished four times in the rally scoring era. The senior's previous career-high service aces record sat at 7.
The One Where Ben Harrington Broke the NCAA Single-Match Aces Record!
— Princeton Men's Volleyball (@PrincetonVolley) January 9, 2024
We've got another matchup against the Royals tonight, but before the match, check out all 1?3? of Harrington's aces that etched his name into the NCAA record books.#PrincetonVolley pic.twitter.com/hTEt7axqEa
The first set commenced with the opposing team securing some initial points. The Royals gained a three-point lead, reaching double digits in the first set with a 17-14 advantage. Despite a challenging start, Princeton mounted a comeback and equalized the score at 18 apiece, courtesy of a James Hartley kill.
Princeton captured its first lead at 22-21 in the first set, thanks to Ben Harrington's score from an attack error and consecutive service aces. The Tigers maintained their momentum, and with Omene's kill, assisted by Wedbush, they reached set point at 24-22. Closing out the first set, the Tigers secured a 25-23 victory with a kill from Gavin Leising. Nyherowo led the Tigers in the first set with 5 kills and James Hartley led with 4 digs.
Starting the second set with authority, the Tigers established a strong 6-0 lead, with two points earned from another set of aces by Ben Harrington. The team extended their advantage to a substantial nine-point lead at 12-3 before the Royals began narrowing the deficit, reducing it to a 12-7 lead.
In a competitive exchange, Princeton held onto the lead, and the score reached 20-13 after Omene secured his second ace of the night. Late in the second set, Queens went on a 4-0 scoring run, narrowing the Tigers' lead to 21-17. The momentum shift was halted by Gavin Leising's decisive kill. Consecutive kills by Harrington extended the Tigers' lead to 24-18. Despite conceding a point due to a service error, the Royals reciprocated with an error of their own, granting the Tigers the set point. The Tigers secured victory in the second set with a final score of 25-19.
Tigers began the third set strong again with a 3-0 start. Omene got to double digit kills on the night when the Tigers took at 5-2 lead in the third. The Tigers asserted significant control as Harrington increased their lead to 15-7 in the third set with his 10th ace of the match.
The Tigers persisted in a 10-0 scoring spree, establishing a twelve-point lead in the third set, marking their largest advantage of the match.
Tristan Whitfield made his inaugural appearance in his first year at the conclusion of the third set, securing his first kill to advance the score to 22-11 in favor of the Tigers. Nolan Kelly also had an opportunity behind the service line in his first match.
The Royals would go on an impressive 8-0 scoring streak at the end of the third set, putting the Tigers under pressure. However, Nyherowo Omene, with his 11th kill of the night, emerged as a game-changer, sealing the Tigers' first victory of the season. Omene's decisive play not only halted the Royals' scoring run but also proved instrumental in securing the win for the Tigers. The final score of the third set was 25-20 in favor of Princeton.
Important Stat Leaders
- Points: Ben Harrington - 21.5
- Service Aces: Ben Harrington - 13
- Kills: Nyherowo Omene - 11
- Digs: James Hartley - 10
- Assists: Henry Wedbush - 32
Up Next
The Princeton University men's volleyball team is scheduled to face off against Queens University of Charlotte again tomorrow evening at 6:00 P.M.
