Men's volleyball cruises past overmatched NJIT in three games

When the men's volleyball team stepped onto the court at Dillon Gym Saturday, it had one thing on its mind — redemption. After losing their first home match against a tough Concordia team last Tuesday, the Tigers were on a mission to prove — to both fans and themselves alike — that they are indeed one of the top teams in their division. Saturday's sweep of league-rival NJIT certainly proved them right.

Princeton (3-3 overall, 2-1 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, Tait Division) did not lose a beat as it soundly defeated NJIT in three straight games — 30-27, 30-22, 30-16. From the outset, the Tigers controlled the momentum on the court, rarely allowing the visiting Highlanders more than two points in a row.

"It was a strong, solid win for the disciplined Tiger team," said assistant coach and volleyball alum Pablo Clarke '00. "This was a great way for us to get the ball rolling."

In all three games, the Princeton offense dominated the net by mixing up the attack between strong cross-court hits and smart short-court tips. On the outside, the Tigers were led by senior leftside hitters Steve Cooper and Blair Anderson, both swinging for kills and tooling the Highlander block.

On the right, sophomore opposite Dennis Alshuler also worked the NJIT defense, recording 10 kills in the match. At the net, senior captain and middleblocker Ryan Black had an incredible .846 hitting percentage for the three games.

"NJIT wasn't spectacular," Black said. "It was a pretty low-stress match."

Throughout all three games, Princeton was able to capitalize on a series of unforced Highlander errors, both at the net and in the backcourt. Due to the new scoring format, the scores in the first two games stayed rather tight throughout most of the play, because it is generally difficult to go on a strong point run. By game three, however, the Tigers had shut out NJIT and were on a roll. At 13-8, Cooper took control from the service line, serving 10 straight points, five of which were aces.

"All the guys played well, especially Steve," Black said. "He played really well. I'd say it was a song-inspired match for him."

One of the biggest challenges facing Princeton this season has been adjusting to new players on the court. The most obvious of these is freshman setter Jason Liljestrom, who has taken over the starting setting position for the Tigers. Saturday, Liljestrom proved he is definitely capable of filling the important role, as he recorded a match-high 38 assists as well as several solo blocks from the right side.

Playing a weaker team not only allowed Princeton to get more comfortable with the new starting squad, but also provided for more substitutions and more players getting court-time.

"Everyone played great today," Alshuler said. "It was a good confidence builder for us because lots of guys got in. The team's really deep, so everyone got some playing time. Buddy Fong came off the bench and had some kills."

"Playing NJIT was fun because people who don't really play a lot got in," Black added. "[NJIT] definitely isn't at the top of the division, but playing them wasn't a waste for us, it helped us work on court chemistry and gave us the chance to boost team morale."

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With this increased confidence, Princeton looks ahead to next week when it will host EIVA-rival NYU Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Dillon Gym. NYU promises to be a bigger obstacle for the Tigers than NJIT, but if they continue to work hard and come together on the court, they should be ready for the challenge.