Princeton takes win in non-conference match

After losing its first five games of the season, it looked as though the men's volleyball team was in for another rough year — they finished last season with an overall record of 7-13. The Tigers, however, are looking to turn things around with some key victories, most recently against the Stevens Institute of Technology, who they faced Friday in Hoboken, N.J.

Princeton (3-7 overall) took a break from conference play to face the Stevens Ducks (14-8), who are currently ranked No. 7 nationally among Division III teams. The Tigers handed Stevens a resounding 3-0 defeat with scores of 30-23, 30-26 and 30-24 in three straight games.

"After a tough weekend with losses to George Mason and Rutgers, it was a nice change of pace to play Stevens Tech," sophomore outside hitter Peter Eichler said. "They have a strong program even though it was a non-league match, and it gave us a chance to really focus on fine-tuning many aspects of our game with Penn State and a rematch with Rutgers looming in the near future."

During the first game it looked as though the Tigers had their work cut out for them. The tenacious Stevens players played closely with Princeton and at one point, the Tigers even held a narrow one-point lead. Led by freshman Andrew Cranford, the Ducks threatened to upset their Division I opponents.

Princeton responded to the Stevens resolve, however, by opening up a comfortable 25-14 lead by taking 10 of 11 points in a row. The Ducks tried to piece together a comeback, but the determined Tiger squad solidly rebuked their efforts.

Princeton was largely led by Eichler. He had 19 kills during the three games, giving the Tigers the offensive power necessary to break through the Stevens front line. The Ducks have seven players who are six feet, four inches or taller on the roster, giving them a solid row of defenders.

In the second game, Stevens threatened to even the score by playing closely with the Tigers, as they had done in the first game. Once again, though, Princeton settled in and eventually ran away with it by going on an impressive 10-4 run to open up a 23-17 lead. As in the first game, the Ducks threatened to stage a comeback by bringing the score to 26-22 but the Tigers squelched the Stevens run and eventually took the victory by a final tally of 30-26.

The Tigers controlled the pace of the third game from the onset, as they jumped out to a 15-9 lead and never let the Ducks back in the game. Stevens came within four on a number of occasions, but Princeton was always in control and never let the lead slip.

"It was really important for us to show that we can play a very effective and clean match and to take care of business when we are supposed to," Eichler said.

The Tigers enjoyed solid performances from a number of players, which is a testament to the depth of the group. Eight different Tigers had kills, giving them the offensive thrust they needed. Senior Ryn Burns had seven kills on nine swings, and freshman Michael Vincent had eight kills and eight blocks. Freshman Brandon Denham also added to the offense by providing 40 assists.

The win over Stevens provided Princeton with a chance to work on its fundamentals and proved that the Tigers have the capability to put together solid victories.

"Our victory against Stevens gives us good momentum to build off of as we get back into league play and close in on the second half of the season when we have to be playing at the best of our abilities to have a chance to compete in the post season," Eichler said.