Tigers close regular season with four-set victory

On match point, all it took was a glance.

Friday night at Dillon Gym, the men's volleyball team led Mercyhurst College, 29-28, in the fourth set, and Princeton (7-12 overall, 4-9 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) was serve-receiving. The game's outcome hung uncertainly in the balance, but two Tigers had an inkling of what would happen next.

"I looked at our setter, [junior] Jack [Pichard]," senior middle hitter Sean Vitousek said afterward, "and he gave me the 'I'm setting you on the next play' look.'"

Pichard kept the promise his eyes had made, perfectly setting up Vitousek, who slammed the ball to the hardwood floor to propel the Tigers into the playoffs with a final regular season win (26-30, 30-24, 30-27, 30-28).

"Jack gave me a perfect set which I was able to put down to win the match," Vitousek said. "It was great to get the game winner for my last home game at Princeton."

Slow start

The Tigers had gotten off to a sluggish start, losing the first set 26-30. Though they started off with a lead, Princeton battled Mercyhurst within a one-point margin for the majority of the set.

"We didn't play too well in the first game," Vitousek said. "They had some lucky jump serves that we weren't ready for, but we hung in there and came back in the next three games. Once our passing cleaned up we were much better."

The Tigers did pick up some momentum for the final three games. The Tigers and Mercyhurst battled at a oneor two-point margin throughout the second game, and the lead yo-yoed between the two teams until, after a tie at 19-19, Princeton finally snagged a three point lead with a kill from freshman outside hitter Peter Eichler and a service ace from Vitousek. The Tigers held on to tie the match 1-1.

It seemed as though the margins would again be close the whole way through the third set, but Mercyhurst had to struggle to catch up after, at a score of 6-6, it stumbled and committed a series of attack errors that handed Princeton a 12-6 advantage.

The reinvigorated Tigers seized the opportunity and drove the score to 18-10. Mercyhurst gradually chipped away at Princeton's advantage, though, and tied the score at 21. But Vitousek and Eichler boosted the Tigers back into the game by slamming down two kills in a row. After maintaining a threeor four-point lead, Princeton took the third set 30-27.

Dramatic ending

The Tigers took the match with a dramatic third set. Neither team had a clear advantage as the Tigers and Mercyhurst exchanged the lead throughout. While it seemed as though Princeton had a clear advantage after securing a threeor four-point lead, a service ace from Mercyhurst's Keegan and attack errors from Vitousek and senior outside hitter Blake Robinson drove the score to a tie at 27.

Vitousek and Eichler once again stepped up, though, and broke the tie with two kills in a row to give Princeton the final advantage. After a kill from Keegan, Vitousek saw Pichard's look and put Mercyhurst away with the authoritative final kill of the Tigers' regular season.

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Eichler led the Tigers with 19 kills and a .400 attack percentage, followed with 14 kills by senior outside hitter Blake Robinson. Junior libero Mark Stevens and junior setter Jack Pichard led with 7 digs each, and Pichard.

Princeton is seeded fifth in the upcoming EIVA playoffs and will face No. 4 seed Rutgers-Newark on Saturday. The Scarlet Raiders defeated the Tigers earlier in the season, but the margin of victory was close for each set (30-27, 30-27, 31-29).