The Princeton men’s volleyball team (3-8, 3-3 EIVA) evened up its in-conference recordthis Saturdaywith a crucial victory over Sacred Heart University (3-10, 3-3 EIVA).
The Tigers entered this weekend’s match coming off of a tough loss to Harvard (7-6, 4-2 EIVA) the day before. Princeton had initially jumped to a 15-9 lead over the Crimson early in the first set, but wound up dropping the match 23-19 and just fell short in the next set, 30-28, en route to a 3-0 defeat.
With the loss, Princeton faced a 2-3 in-conference record heading into another match-up against Sacred Heart. However, the Tigers, led by senior outside hitters Zach Shaw and Devin Stearns, proved more than equal to the circumstances.
Shaw made the first statement in the opening set, notching six kills with no errors and scoring critical points late in the match that helped the Tigers pull off a 30-28 nail-biter. Princeton then went on to take the second set, 25-23, building a 2-0 edge. However, Sacred Heart would not go away and responded in kind, winning the third match 25-22 to leave the outcome of the contest still uncertain as the two teams squared off for a fourth time in Dillon gym.
However, Princeton chose this moment to demonstrate the full potential of their squad. Shaw and sophomore middle blocker Billy Andrew Jr. went a perfect 3 for 3 on swings, while the Tigers hit an outstanding .333 overall in a convincing 25-21 victory. The win sealed the contest and moved Princeton back into a third-place tie (with Sacred Heart and Saint Francis University) in their conference.
Shaw and Stearns played stellar matches and contributed 32 of Princeton’s 52 kills over the course of the day. Junior setter Kurt Thiemann notched nine kills and three blocks for the Tigers, Andrew added four kills while also piling on seven blocks and senior middle blocker Alex Schindele-Murayama and sophomore middle blocker Mike Fuerst also had three kills apiece. Additionally, Thiemann played a huge game, racking up 43 assists, seven digs, five blocks and two service aces over the course of the victory.
The match proved to be a critical test for Princeton’s team mid-season, and the volleyball squad more than rose to the occasion. However, the season and its challenges continue into next weekend, as the Tigers take on McKendree University next Fridaybefore facing off against yet another EIVA team: George Mason University. The Patriots (5-10, 1-4 EIVA) will provide Princeton an excellent opportunity to move forward in the conference standings as the team continues its hunt for the EIVA postseason.
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