Men's volleyball wins two, drops one at Windmill Classic

Over the weekend men's volleyball improved to 7-9 with wins over the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon and Long Island University-Southampton at the Windmill Classic in New York.

In the tournament, the Tigers put together those two solid performances before losing to Division III powerhouse Springfield College 3-0.

Princeton's victories were impressive given that the team still is not at full strength, even with the return of freshman outside hitter Ryn Burns to the lineup. His impact was felt immediately.

"[Freshman] Blake [Robinson] and Ryn really had to carry the load for us this weekend and they did a great job with that," said senior middle hitter Scott Dore.

Princeton arrived in Southampton on Friday, drawing UPR-Bayamon as its first-round opponent.

The Tigers appeared unbeatable against UPR, winning 3-0 (30-22, 30-22, 30-26). Princeton led for most of the first two games, and withstood late charges by UPR Bayamon in the final game to earn the sweep.

Freshman middle hitter Sean Vitousek had an all around solid performance for the Tigers, recording 10 kills and six blocks. In the absence of some of the team's regular starters, Vitousek has begun to step up for Princeton on both offense and defense.

Freshman outside hitter Blake Robinson continues to prove that he is one of the Tigers' best offensive threats, regularly providing Princeton with crucial kills.

Against UPR Bayamon, Robinson had 10 kills, tying Vitousek for match-high honors. Robinson's importance to the Tiger attack cannot be understated, since he has led Princeton in kills several times this season.

In addition to Vitousek's sound defensive showing, senior opposite Gary Chern's team-high six digs anchored the Tiger defense. Chern's efforts saved several points against UPR Bayamon, helping Princeton solidify the win.

Jose Fuentes led UPR Bayamon with nine kills as Elvyn Martinez and Raul Marrero added seven a piece. After making short work of UPR Bayamon, the Tigers were done for the evening, and had a chance to rest before resuming play on Saturday.

The next day Princeton was slated to battle Southampton and Springfield.

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The Tigers staggered early on against the Colonials as Southampton captured the first game 30-28. The opening game went back and forth, but Princeton failed to capitalize on some of its chances late in the game.

The second game was again close, but this time the Tigers put together a run toward the end and managed to edge past Southampton, 32-30.

During the third game, Princeton could do no wrong, cruising to a 30-21 victory. By the end of the third game the Tigers had all of the momentum, while the Colonials were clearly on their heels.

Like a champion prizefighter moving in for the kill, Princeton delivered the knockout punch to a demoralized Southampton team in the fourth and final game with a 30-22 victory.

After the Tigers defeated the Colonials in four games, they had just 40 minutes of rest before facing No. 4 Springfield College.

The Pride, one of the nation's best teams, ran its winning streak to seven with a 3-0 (30-27, 30-22, 30-22) victory.

Given sufficient time to rest in between matches, a healthy Princeton squad probably could have fared much better against Springfield College.

Robinson paced the Tigers with a game-high 16 digs and 16 kills, while Chern added 14 kills.

"Overall we're satisfied with our 2-1 record this weekend and I'm optimistic about our next three matches against East Stroudsburg, St. Francis and Mercyhurst," Dore said.

Princeton begins a four-game road trip against East Stroudsburg March 8.