Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
1-3,0-0Ivy League
Saint Peter's
0-8,0-0Metro
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Peter's | 11 | 21 | 24 | 0 |
| Princeton | 25 | 25 | 26 | 3 |
Sims, McNair Combine For 33 Kills in Princeton’s Sweep of Saint Peter’s
September 11, 2026 | Women's Volleyball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Tremendous performances all-around for upperclassmen Ashtyn Sims and Erin McNair allowed the Princeton University women's volleyball team to complete the sweep of Saint Peter's (25-11, 25-21, 26-24) and earn its first victory of the 2026 campaign Friday afternoon at the XFINITY Center Pavilion.
The Tigers' (1-3) duo of Sims and McNair combined for 33 of the team's match-leading 51 kills as the Peacocks fall to 0-8 on the young season.
How It Happened
Saint Peter's scored the first point of the afternoon on a service ace, but Princeton quickly responded with five consecutive points to take a 5-1 lead. The run began with a block by Jackie Onyechi and Ava Harrington, followed by a kill from Onyechi and another block from Onyechi and Ashtyn Sims. Shelby Burriss and Harrington teamed up for Princeton's third block of the set to make it 9-4, followed by back-to-back kills from Sydney Draper. The Tigers closed the opening set on a 19-7 run, including five kills from Erin McNair, to take a 25-11 victory.
Whatever was said in the huddle between sets paid off for the Peacocks, who came out with the early momentum and built an 11-7 lead before Princeton called timeout. The Tigers quickly erased the deficit, however, as Sims, Onyechi and Harrington combined for three consecutive points to even the set at 11-11. Princeton then used a 12-4 run, highlighted by three straight kills from Harrington, to take a 19-15 advantage. Saint Peter's trimmed the deficit to two at 21-19, but two more kills from Onyechi helped ignite a 4-2 finish for the Tigers, who took the second set, 25-21, to move ahead 2-0 in the match.
The third set featured five kills among the first eight points, with Sims recording three and McNair adding two. Saint Peter's responded with a 10-8 lead, prompting a Princeton timeout. The Peacocks maintained their advantage and led by as many as three at 14-11, but the Tigers continued to battle. Back-to-back kills from McNair brought Princeton within one at 14-13, and Sims put the Tigers back in front moments later with another kill.
Princeton scored seven of its final nine points on kills from either Sims or McNair, with Sims accounting for four and McNair three. McNair's 16th kill of the afternoon gave the Tigers match point at 24-23. After Saint Peter's evened the set, Burriss put down a kill from Draper to give Princeton a 25-24 edge. An attack error by Saint Peter's Addison Baglio ended the threat and completed the Tigers' 3-0 sweep.
Of Note
- Sims led the Tigers with 17 kills, eight more than her previous career high of nine set back on Sept. 13, 2025 at Coppin State.
- After a weekend at Colgate where she failed to get onto the scoresheet, McNair contributed in a big way with her 16 kills on 31 attempts, finishing with a .419 attack percentage.
- Sydney Draper was an X-Factor for Princeton, totaling 34 assists to go along with nine digs on the defensive end of the floor. She also put down five kills on seven tries, a .714 mark.
- Princeton out-blocked Saint Peter's, 14-6, with eight blocks from Onyechi, six for Burriss, and five for Harrington.
- Libero Sydney Bold nearly a double-double herself with a match-high 15 digs and nine assists.
- The Tigers hit .318 as a team, posting nearly identical percentages of .344 and .343 in the first and second sets, respectively. The Peacocks hit .068 for the match and were –.214 in the first set, committing nine errors—with just three kills—on 28 attempts.
Up Next
The Tigers finish out play at the Maryland Tournament on Saturday, taking on Seton Hall at 1 p.m. and the host Terrapins at 7 p.m. (note the new start time). Both matches will be streamed live on B1G+ (subscription required).
