Men's volleyball beats Concordia

Space is tight in the up coming four-team Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association playoff, especially with one of those spots virtually guaranteed to nationally-ranked Penn State. With two EIVA losses already, Princeton could ill afford to drop a game to Concordia, a team that stole a spot in last season's playoffs.

In a weekend where the Tigers faced both the Eagles and Penn State, Princeton achieved its goal of defeating Concordia, but Penn State proved too much.

In their first match, the Tigers faced Concordia. The opening game was a bitter fight to the very end, as Princeton eventually managed to edge out the Eagles for a 34-32 victory. Concordia bounced right back, however, riding its powerful hitters to a 30-27 win that might have broken the momentum of a weaker team.

Princeton has proved time and again this season that they can recover from a defeat, however, and topped the Eagles 30-25 to take game three.

The final game was a display of the Tiger's dominance, as the squad promptly polished off Concordia, 30-19.

Princeton's continuing defensive improvement was typified by freshman outside hitter Mark Stevens' nine digs, and the attack once again demonstrated its multiple capabilities. Sophomore outside hitter Ryn Burns' 13 kills led three Tigers in double figures on the day.

The victory was a seriously-needed boost to morale, for two days later they were scheduled to square off with none other than the No. 10 team in the nation, the Nittany Lions.

Princeton was ready for Penn State on Sunday, as ready as it was possible to be for the top-ranked squad in the EIVA. With upset on the brain, the Tigers shocked the Nittany Lions in game one, winning 30-27. With a 1-0 lead and the home-court advantage, victory no longer seemed impossible. Could it be that in an upset of Princeton vs. UCLA proportions, Princeton might send Penn State packing?

As it would turn out, the first game was not enough and Penn State quickly showed that there are reasons for its reputation. The second game was a disheartening display of Nittany Lion ability, as the Tigers were simply outplayed in all aspects of the game. The final score of game two was 30-15, and an upset suddenly seemed a long ways away.

Although Princeton never quit fighting, the Nittany Lions made it clear that they were now in control. They outdug the Tigers, 44-12, outhit them, .419 to .145, and outblocked them, 12-9, over the course of the match.

It is a testament to the Tigers' grit that they managed to hang with Penn State in the face of statistics such as these. Princeton never recovered its game one momentum, dropping the next two games by the same score, 30-23, losing the match, 3-1.

Junior setter Jason Liljestrom had 40 assists in the loss, and senior opposite Dennis Alshuler led the Princeton attack with 14 kills and a .314 hitting percentage.

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Although the loss to Penn State was disappointing after the victory in the first game, it was not unexpected. The Tigers are still a developing team, and the Nittany Lions have been virtually unbeatable in recent years.

The victory over Concordia and the fact that Princeton managed to hang with Penn State are positive signs, however. Look for the Tigers to rebound this Wednesday at 7 p.m. when they face off with another EIVA foe, New York University.