This is it – the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association tournament is here.
The ultimate goal of the men's volleyball team is to go to the NCAA Final Four in Hawaii, and it takes the first step toward reaching that goal when it hosts No. 6 seed Springfield (15-9 overall, 4-2 EIVA), in the first round of the EIVA tournament, tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at Dillon Gym.
"Our goal is to make this a season to remember," senior opposite Scott Birdwell said.
In the past few weeks, the Tigers have beaten Penn State for the first time ever and are now playing their best volleyball of the season. Could it be that the stars are aligned?
Division III power
Springfield was ranked second in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Division III poll. It has good ball control and finished third in Division III team hitting percentage with .314. Its offense is well-executed and run with precision by senior setter Bret Stothart, ranked second in Division III in assists per game with 14.51. Junior swing hitter Peter Murray averaged 5.25 kills per game, good enough to lead Division III.
Yet Princeton, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, historically has never had a problem with Springfield.
"Springfield never plays us tough, even though they battle other quality teams," head coach Glenn Nelson said. "We just match up really well against them."
With an opponent Princeton knows it is capable of defeating, the Tigers need to remain focused and maintain a high level of consistency.
"If we're solid offensively and can side out, they're going to make some mistakes," Nelson said.
If the Tigers can remain relatively error-free and play tight defense, they should emerge with a win.
Recovery
Senior outside Jeff Cooper and freshman outside Steve Cooper will need to keep nailing their passes for Princeton to triumph. However, perhaps the most crucial player is sophomore setter Jason Morrow. Morrow is recovering from a sprained ankle, and as he goes, the Tigers go.
With the exception of a meaningless loss to East Stroudsbourg Wednesday, Princeton is riding a wave of momentum after winning the Ivy championship last weekend. The Tigers romped through the tournament despite missing three of their six starters.
"It would've been a sad day if [this year's seniors] didn't graduate without winning all four Ivy championships," Birdwell said. "And we kept Harvard from winning, which is another success."
Backups
The Ivy tournament was marked by the contributions of the Tiger reserves. Sophomore setter Kevin Roche and freshman outside John Lerch stepped in and started, and junior middle Brandon Vegter played well in the finals.
"We're in a groove now where everyone's contributing," Nelson said.
This year's EIVA tournament will be different for Princeton because its toughest test may come in the second round as opposed to the finals. Assuming the Tigers defeat Springfield in the opening round, they will most likely take on second-seeded Penn State, which faces No. 7 Juniata Saturday. Penn State beat Princeton in the EIVA finals last year to advance to the Final Four, ending one of the Tigers' best seasons in recent memory.
"If we play the way we're capable of playing, we can beat either Penn State or Rutgers-Newark," Nelson said. Rutgers-Newark is the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
"It doesn't matter when we play Penn State," Birdwell said.
The seniors are gearing up for the last home match of their Princeton careers.
"It's our last chance," Birdwell said.
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