Tigers Take Five-Set Win Over Harvard

Friday, April 17

Cambridge, Mass.

7:00 PM

Princeton University

6-14,2-9EIVA

Harvard

6-17,3-8EIVA

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Princeton	18	25	20	25	16	3
Harvard	25	16	25	17	14	2

Photo by: Shelley M. Szwast

April 17, 2026 | Men's Volleyball

Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, MASS. – The Princeton men's volleyball team defeated Harvard, 3-2 (18-25, 25-16, 20-25, 25-17, 16-14) in a five-set thriller on Friday night in Cambridge, Mass.

Owen Mellon had a career-high 26 kills on the night for a game-high. With three errors on 44 swings, he hit .523 on the night while adding four blocks.

Tristan Whitfield also had a solid performance with three blocks, seven kills and .545 hitting on the night.

How It Happened
Harvard kicked off the match with a 6-0 run in the first set. As the Tigers began the climb back, Andrew Werner made four kills and Ryan Vena made two, but Princeton still trailed at 20-15. With the Tigers unable to close that initial deficit, Harvard would take the set 25-18.

In the second set, the Tigers made a 4-0 run early to lead 5-3, with Mellon tallying three kills on the way. As the Tiger offense continued to produce, Harvard brought it back within one at 10-9, but Princeton again exploded with another run to lead 17-10. As Mellon made six total kills in the set, and Ethan Wells added three, Princeton dominated, taking set two 25-16 to equalize.

Set three would go to the Crimson after it took an early lead. Despite tying it at eight with a 3-0 run, the Tigers would not be able to close the deficit again as Harvard would take it, 25-20.

Responding and fighting for a fifth set, the Tigers kicked off the fourth with a 3-0 run before extending the lead to five with another. With Mellon making six kills, the Tigers took a 15-10 lead at mid-set. Continuing to outpace the Crimson, Princeton extended the lead more as a kill and an ace by Mellon made 19-11 Tigers. Harvard was able to narrow the deficit late, but Princeton equalized with a set score of 25-16.

The fifth set was razor thin as the two sides traded points back and forth, with Princeton trailing by one point through most of the set.

With Mellon making eight kills in the set alone, the Tigers forced a Harvard timeout as they took took the largest lead of the set at 13-11. Harvard was able to tie it up at 13 and again at 14, but two last kills from Mellon would put the exclamation point on the five-set Tiger victory.

Up Next
Princeton will fight for a spot in the EIVA tournament as it faces off with Harvard again tomorrow at 4 p.m.