Friday, February 14
Newark, N.J.
6:00 PM
Princeton University
4-4,1-0EIVA
3
at
1
NJIT
6-3,1-1EIVA
1
2
3
4
F
Princeton
25
21
26
25
3
NJIT
15
25
24
20
1
Princeton Downs No. 19 NJIT, 3-1
February 14, 2025 | Men's Volleyball
NEWARK, N.J. – In a Garden State showdown, the Princeton men's volleyball team opened their EIVA account with a 3-1 (25-15, 21-25, 26-24, 25-20) win over the No. 19 NJIT Highlanders on Friday night in Newark. With the win, Princeton improves to 4-4 on the season and 1-0 in conference play, while snapping the Highlanders' six-game win streak and handing them their first EIVA loss this season.
Nyherowo Omene and Mason Rice each tallied a game-high 15 kills on the night, with Omene adding four aces. They had .345 and .333 hitting, respectively.
Henry Wedbush racked up a season high 42 assists on the night, also adding seven digs. Jameson Vaccaro led the Tigers with eight digs, also adding five blocks while freshman Ethan Wells had six on the night.
How It Happened
The Tigers came out looking strong, building up a lead throughout the set which saw 13 kills from Princeton, and notably, nine attack errors from NJIT. With Rice tallying four kills in just a few minutes, Princeton exploded into a 6-0 run, ending the set with a statement score of 25-15.
The second set was more even, as NJIT registered 14 kills to Princeton's 13. The Tigers were able to stay close to the Highlanders, bringing themselves within two late in the set, but NJIT outlasted them 25-21 to take the set.
The third set was a close battle, as both sides stayed within two points of each other for the entirety of the set. Whitfield stepped up with three kills and a service ace, while Rice and Omene continued to produce as the team registered 14 total on .286 hitting.
With the set tied at 23-23, NJIT took a step forward with a kill, but another kill by Omene and a huge block by Omene and Wells set Princeton up. One last kill by Jameson Vaccaro called the set, 26-24, giving Princeton the 2-1 lead.
Looking to finish strong, the Tigers found themselves in another close fourth set, with the score tied nine times up to 12-12. Then, Princeton began building up a lead, with Vaccaro, Rice, Omene and Wells each contributing kills to help the Tigers ahead. Still, NJIT was within two at 22-20, but a service error and an attack error put Princeton in a winning position. One final block from the Omene and Wells combination earned the set point, and handed the match to Princeton, 3-1.
Of Note
Up Next
Princeton will continue the EIVA action with a trip down to Charleston, West Virginia for two matches against the Golden Eagles on February 21st (7:00 p.m.) and February 22nd (1:00 p.m.).
Nyherowo Omene and Mason Rice each tallied a game-high 15 kills on the night, with Omene adding four aces. They had .345 and .333 hitting, respectively.
Henry Wedbush racked up a season high 42 assists on the night, also adding seven digs. Jameson Vaccaro led the Tigers with eight digs, also adding five blocks while freshman Ethan Wells had six on the night.
How It Happened
The Tigers came out looking strong, building up a lead throughout the set which saw 13 kills from Princeton, and notably, nine attack errors from NJIT. With Rice tallying four kills in just a few minutes, Princeton exploded into a 6-0 run, ending the set with a statement score of 25-15.
The second set was more even, as NJIT registered 14 kills to Princeton's 13. The Tigers were able to stay close to the Highlanders, bringing themselves within two late in the set, but NJIT outlasted them 25-21 to take the set.
The third set was a close battle, as both sides stayed within two points of each other for the entirety of the set. Whitfield stepped up with three kills and a service ace, while Rice and Omene continued to produce as the team registered 14 total on .286 hitting.
With the set tied at 23-23, NJIT took a step forward with a kill, but another kill by Omene and a huge block by Omene and Wells set Princeton up. One last kill by Jameson Vaccaro called the set, 26-24, giving Princeton the 2-1 lead.
Looking to finish strong, the Tigers found themselves in another close fourth set, with the score tied nine times up to 12-12. Then, Princeton began building up a lead, with Vaccaro, Rice, Omene and Wells each contributing kills to help the Tigers ahead. Still, NJIT was within two at 22-20, but a service error and an attack error put Princeton in a winning position. One final block from the Omene and Wells combination earned the set point, and handed the match to Princeton, 3-1.
Of Note
- Princeton held NJIT to just a .238 attack percentage, the Highlanders' lowest this season.
- The Tigers collectively earned a season-high 50 kills on the night on .344 hitting.
- Wells' performance tonight puts him second on the roster in blocks with 17.0, close behind Omene's 18.0. Wells now leads the team, averaging 1.31 per set.
Up Next
Princeton will continue the EIVA action with a trip down to Charleston, West Virginia for two matches against the Golden Eagles on February 21st (7:00 p.m.) and February 22nd (1:00 p.m.).
Team Stats
PU
NJIT
Kills
50
43
Errors
17
19
Attempts
96
101
Hitting %
.344
.238
Points
65.5
60.5
Assists
48
40
Aces
5
7
Blocks
10.5
10.5
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
15
Aces
4
Blocks
5
Kills
15
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
10
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
1
Blocks
2
Players Mentioned
PIN
/ Men's VolleyballPIN
/ Men's VolleyballPIN
/ Men's Volleyball
SET
/ Men's Volleyball
MB
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