Rutgers-Newark drops m. volleyball

The men's volleyball team traveled to Newark tuesday night looking to open the league play portion of their schedule with a bang. The Tigers split four games during an intersession road trip to California, with wins coming in the last two matches. The team rode the momentum from those two victories into the gym at the University of Rutgers-Newark, where Princeton opened its 2004 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tait Division season.

However, Princeton's hopes for three consecutive wins quickly came crashing down, as Rutgers swept the Tigers in three straight games to earn the win. The Scarlet Knights hit .517 in taking the opening game, 30-22. Princeton tried to rally, shoring up its defense in the second game but still losing, 30-26. In the third game, the Tigers had their backs against the wall but could not respond, hitting a paltry .033 to lose the final game, 30-20.

Balanced play

Despite the loss in straight games there were some bright spots for the Tigers, including the ever-consistent play of setter Jason Liljestrom, who tallied 36 assists. Junior Blake Robinson was also a top performer, leading the Tigers with 12 kills and eight digs. A pair of underclassmen, sophomore Brian Hamming and freshman Reid Joseph, each had 10 kills apiece. The play of these younger talents will only improve as the season progresses, and so the Tigers should continue to improve as league play moves forward.

In Tuesday night's match, the Tigers' failure was in their inconsistency. Princeton had difficulty passing the ball, a problem made worse by the continued absence of junior outside hitter Ryn Burns. Burns sprained his ankle in late January, and hopes to be ready to play again in the next couple of weeks. His return to the lineup will give Princeton what they sorely needed on Tuesday, a consistent passer to compliment the setting skills of Liljestrom and the hitting of Robinson and Hamming.

Fortunately for Princeton, a chance to avenge last night's loss will come on Feb. 27, when a rematch with Rutgers-Newark will take place in Dillon Gym. The Tigers hope to be at full strength for this match-up, and with the return of Burns plus the continued maturation of youngsters like Hamming and Joseph, the Scarlet Knights likely will face a very different Princeton team. The Tigers' postseason aspirations will depend on it.

Juniata

But before Princeton can look ahead to a rematch with Rutgers, their league schedule continues Friday in a match-up with Juniata. Last season, the Tigers lost to Juniata by a 3-1 count, and the Eagles will look to reassert their dominance over the depleted Princeton squad on Friday. To beat Juniata the Tigers must show rapid improvement in the consistency of their passing, as well as the always important accuracy of their hitting. The .033 hit average of the third game against Rutgers will be in the back of the Tigers' minds as they train all week.

After Friday's match-up with Juniata the Tigers will play in the St. Francis Tournament on Saturday and Sunday. Potential match-ups with Lees-McRae, D'Youville, and St. Francis are favorable for Princeton, and the Tigers should finish the weekend with at least a couple of non-league victories. But the match with implications in the standings will be Friday night at Juniata, where the Tigers will try to bring their league record back to .500.