Men's volleyball drops league contest to local foe Rutgers-Newark

It was another rough night for the men's volleyball team. After coming off two disappointing losses this past weekend, Princeton struggled again, falling in four games to league rival Rutgers-Newark (7-18 overall, 6-6 EIVA Tait Division).

Having beaten the Scarlet Raiders 3-1 earlier in the season, it seemed that the Tigers would have little difficulty pulling out the win again last night. And, from the looks of the first game, no one would have predicted differently.

Princeton dominated the court in game one, both offensively and defensively, taking the game fairly easily, 30-18. At the net, senior middle Ryan Black and junior middle Scott Dore posted a solid block, while a scrappy Princeton defense hussled to cover the deep court. Taking control from the right, freshman setter Jason Liljestrom alternated between outside and quick sets, mixing up the Tiger attack and successfully throwing off the Scarlet Raiders defense. Taking the game 30-18, it seemed Princeton's momentum would surely carry out through the rest of the match.

From the start of game two, however, the tables had turned. Jumping out to a 9-4 lead, Rutgers-Newark returned to the court fired up and looking to even the score. The Scarlet Raiders' aggressive hitting and powerful serving caused the Tigers to stumble on defense, severely limiting their ability to attack effectively. When Princeton was able to set up on offense, a strong Rutgers-Newark block repeatedly shut down the majority of their hitting attempts. Maintaining control of the court throughout most of the game, the Scarlet Raiders claimed it 30-18.

With the game score tied at one, it was anyone's match. Determined to gain the advantage, both teams stepped up their attack, but Princeton struggled to remain consistent on defense. Unable to control the ball on their side of the court, the Tigers' poor digging and passing prevented them from maintaining a substantial lead at any point during the game. With Rutgers-Newark having a 29-28 lead, a net violation gave Princeton another chance at the win. With the pressure on, the Tigers and the Scarlet Raiders went head to head through seven more game points, before a tool off the block gave Rutgers the game, 38-36.

After the game three momentum-killer, Princeton failed to regain its drive, and fell in the fourth 30-21, giving Rutgers the match, 3-1.

Despite solid offensive efforts by Black — who led the Tigers with 14 kills — as well as Dore and sophomore opposite Dennis Alshuler, with eight and 11 kills, respectively, Princeton was outmatched by its opponent's aggressive attack. Defensively, the Tigers repeatedly struggled to control the ball, and poor passing proved devastating in the end.

"If you can't pass, you're not going to win," head coach Glenn Nelson said. "We rely on our primary passers, and when they don't do their job its going to be tough for us to get by any team.

"We were tragic tonight," Nelson continued. "Rutgers was no better than when we played them before, but we just didn't come out ready to play."

The loss drops Princeton to 7-9 overall, 5-6 EIVA Tait Division. With only three teams left in league play, including Penn State and Concordia — ranked No. 1 and 2 in the East, respectively — the Tigers have a tough road ahead before they enter the playoffs in less than two weeks.