After win over NYU, men's volleyball takes on Penn St.

Spring has finally arrived in Princeton. This week, as the April days become warmer and many of the seniors hand in their theses and return full force to life outside of Firestone, the campus air has a feel of good fortune in it.

The men's volleyball team, which had both ups and downs throughout the winter months of February and March, welcomed spring with a celebration, beating NYU in New York in four games Wednesday night.

"When we played them earlier in the year at home, they really gave us a battle," sophomore middle hitter Brian Hamming said. "This time, we were expecting a battle, and that we prevailed was pleasantly surprising."

The Tigers (13-8, 5-6 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tait Division) were playing without junior outside hitter Blake Robinson, the team's offensive star. Despite the fact that Princeton defeated NYU relatively easily in February, a win over the small-school Violets (19-6, 13-0 EIVA Hay/Sweeney Division) was not a sure thing.

"[Robinson is] our on-the-court leader and our most versatile player," Hamming said.

Even with Robinson, the Princeton team has struggled all season with consistency on the road, dropping four of five league matches in opposing gyms before the game.

But this time the Tigers overwhelmed the Violets with clutch hitting from some of their lesser-known players. Sophomore opposite Jack Pichard showed why he might be a future cornerstone of the team with a team-leading 17 kills, three aces and 12 digs against NYU. Junior middle hitter Sean Vitousek also chipped in 12 kills, a solid effort for the junior defensive specialist who also led the team in blocks with three.

Senior setter Jason Liljestrom showed once again why he is the Tigers' most valuable player by dishing out 61 assists to orchestrate the offense, and the ever-dangerous Hamming was his usual consistent self, posting 15 kills.

Princeton won the match by following its usual game plan, a well-rounded effort with contributions from every player on the floor.

"We were pretty much in control the whole game," Hamming said.

Though the Violets played hard in a marathon first game that Princeton eventually took, 35-33, NYU only won one of the match's four games and simply could not compete against the Tigers' depth.

The win over NYU gave an important boost to Princeton's confidence, as the team prepares to face Penn State this Saturday in University Park, Pa. While NYU plays in the EIVA's Hay division, part of the league's second tier, the Tigers play with the Nittany Lions in the Tait Division, the EIVA's top grouping.

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In other words, while the win over the Violets was a nice little ego boost for the Tigers, a win over Penn State would have serious significance. However, a Princeton upset seems unlikely, as the Tigers carried an undefeated home record into their first match with Penn State this season, only to suffer a 3-0 sweep.

"[The Nittany Lions] are just so big and so strong serving," Hamming said. "We just need to challenge them with our serves and handle their serving."

This time, the Nittany Lions will not only have the psychological advantage of the memories of that convincing win but will also enjoy the advantage of their home gym.

"They're our toughest opponent without Blake [Robinson]," Hamming said. "It will be a great test. It's a chance to show that we can play against tough teams."

A loss to Penn State won't affect Princeton's playoff status for the first round of the EIVA Division I playoffs, set to begin in two weeks. The Tigers recently heard that they will host a playoff game on April 24 on their home court of Dillon Gym.

"We're all just getting ready for the playoffs and hosting for that at home," Hamming said. "I don't want to say that we're looking past Penn State. We just want to be ready to make a run for the playoffs."

The home-court advantage — and the fact that Robinson will have two more weeks to rehab his sprained ankle before that crucial game — bode well for the Tigers' chances to advance past the first round of the playoffs.