Triple match proves no problem for men's volleyball

What the men's volleyball team did this past weekend goes beyond what any typical sports terminology is equipped to handle. Victory? Success? Such words do little justice to what was accomplished. Let's just say that the Tigers are still scraping small remnants of the competition off the bottom of their shoes.

Princeton traveled to Southampton, New York last Saturday to compete in a triple match with Southampton College and East Stroudsburg University. Both teams play in the lower division of the Tigers' conference, the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. Although Princeton plays in the upper division, the team came in expecting a fairly competitive pair of matches. Instead they dominated completely, downing the Colonials and the Warriors in straight sets.

The Tigers (12-7) started their day with ESU (5-10), an opponent that had caused them trouble in seasons past. The Warriors have suffered from coaching changes recently, however, and are really no longer on Princeton's level. The Tigers made this apparent from the first serve, specializing in an area of the game that they have struggled with this year — defense.

"We blocked really well against them early, and they just had no answer for it," head coach Glenn Nelson said.

Princeton's big front line left ESU with no chance to compete head-to-head, forcing the Warriors to resort to avoid having their spikes sent back into their foreheads by looking to hit to the side or even tip the ball rather than spiking it. The final hitting percentages tell the story of Tiger dominance at the net quite well: Princeton .456, ESU .167. Still, the Warriors had enough heart to continue their futile resistance, as the Tigers took the first game by a respectably close score of 30-24. That couldn't continue forever, as Princeton proved with grim rapidity. The Tigers hit .565 with only two errors in all of game two, taking away any of ESU's remaining hope with a final score of 30-13. Game three was a foregone conclusion. Princeton cruised to a 30-20 win, walking away untouched.

Sophomore outside hitters Ryn Burns and Blake Robinson, fed by junior setter Jason Liljestrom's 42 assists, led the team in kills with 14 and 9, respectively. Senior opposite Dennis Alshuler, meanwhile, finished with a statistic that has almost always eluded the Tigers this season — zero errors. Alshuler continued his streak of perfection well into the next match, and unfortunately for the Colonials, it showed.

Tigers vs. Southampton

Based on reputation, Southampton was supposed to put up more of a struggle than ESU. The Warriors had topped the Colonials in the morning match, however, so things looked optimistic for the Tigers as the first serve went up. Things never looked bad from then on, either. Once again, Princeton's opponent managed to keep the first game respectable, but it was still a 30-24 Tiger victory. In another instance of déja-vu, it was once again Princeton's defense that led the way.

"We keyed on Southampton's star player and managed to take him out of the action," Nelson said. "After that, it was really our game."

With the defense finally in order, the Tiger attack was free to do what it does best — dominate. The Colonials fell, 30-17, in game two, and with its distinct size advantage Princeton looked unstoppable. Game three was a 30-21 Tiger victory, ending a perfect tri-match for the Tigers. Alshuler continued his errorless streak into the second game of the Southampton match, and ended up leading the team with 11 kills, throwing in six digs for good measure.

The perfect weekend came at the ideal time, as over spring break the Tigers will decide their seed in the upcoming EIVA playoffs. Princeton plays three teams over the weekend and next week: Juniata, St. Francis and George Mason. To ensure a No. 4 seed and the home-court advantage that comes with it, the Tigers must beat the first two of those teams.

Princeton dropped its first match to Juniata this year, although this time the Tigers will get the chance to play the rematch on their home floor. St. Francis must remain a concern as well, but Princeton won the first time around there. If the team can pull off a win against Juniata this Friday, an EIVA playoff match will be held at Dillon for the first time in years. This game, to quote every sports broadcaster ever, is crucial.