Down two games to one with the end in sight, the women's volleyball team knew it needed a win to stay in the match Friday night in Dillon Gym. Penn held a 27-23 point lead in the fourth and potentially deciding game of the match. Hope blossomed for Princeton when it took the next five points to gain the lead at 28-27, but ultimately the Tigers couldn't come up with the right plays at the right time, as Penn went on to nail the coffin shut and win the game, 31-29.
Though Princeton (8-3 overall, 0-1 Ivy League) remained close in all three games it lost Friday, the more experienced Quakers (4-6, 1-0) were able to come up with points at critical times to hand the Tigers their first home loss of the season, 3-0.
Their second was quick to follow. The next night, Princeton hosted Division III national power Juniata (14-1) in what turned out to be a 3-0 drubbing for the Tigers.
Doomed to defeat
In Friday night's match against Penn, Princeton seemed unable to come up with the clutch kills or digs in the final moments of the games, ultimately dooming the Tigers to defeat. Princeton dominated the first game but couldn't seem to score points down the stretch in the other three.
The Tigers coasted to a 30-16 victory after jumping out to an early lead. Things would not run so smoothly for Princeton over the rest of the match.
Penn took an early lead in the second game of the match, but the Tigers took a 22-21 lead in the latter stages of the contest. The Quakers, however, had no intention of letting the second game slip through their clutches. They seemed to shift to another gear, leaving Princeton in their rearview mirror. The Tigers watched helplessly as Penn took control of the game, which resulted in a 30-25 victory for the Quakers.
The third game of the match played out much like the second, with Penn sealing the deal again late in the game for a 2-1 lead. With their backs against the wall, the Tigers played a thrilling fourth game, but they couldn't come up with the key plays as the game progressed.
Princeton swatted its way to a 4-2 lead early on in the fourth game after freshman middle blocker Lindsey Ensign hit a quick sharp angle to get the kill. The Quakers refused to relax, however, and the game was tight from start to finish, with neither team ever having a lead of more than three points.
"Volleyball is all about scoring points at the right time," head coach Glenn Nelson said. "We made mistakes; they didn't."
When their fourth-game rally fell short, the Tigers left Dillon Gym with a disappointing 3-1 loss.
"We don't really have an identity," Nelson said. "We have a unique mixture of youth and experience that, so far, hasn't blended well. Penn had the experience; we didn't."
Tigers mew, Eagles screech
On Saturday night the Tigers played the part of docile host to Juniata. Princeton lacked energy and confidence, perhaps an effect from the previous night's draining loss. The Eagles jumped out to an early lead that they never truly relinquished, controlling the pace and the momentum of the match almost from wire to wire en route to 3-0 victory.
"I think today had a lot to do with last night," Nelson said.
The Tigers fought hard for a 26-24 lead late in the first game of the match against the Eagles, only to watch Juniata run off six consecutive points for a 30-26 victory. Things were only downhill from there for Princeton, as the Eagles won the next two games, 30-23 and 30-16.
Despite the two losses, Henritze was a bright spot for the Tigers all weekend. On Friday she led the team in both kills and digs with 17 and 15, respectively, and again led the team with 16 kills on Saturday.
The Tigers dropped their Ivy League opener, but the majority of the season still lies ahead. Princeton hosts Ivy rivals Dartmouth and Penn next weekend at 7 p.m. on Friday night and 4 p.m. on Saturday night, respectively.
"We need to pick it up," Nelson said. "There's a lot of volleyball left to be played."
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