Princeton routs Rutgers-Newark

“It was emotionally important for us to get back to winning,” senior outside hitter and captain Peter Eichler said. “Losing at St. Francis this weekend was disappointing, and it was nice to return home and turn it around tonight.”

The Tigers started strong, rolling to a 9-3 lead in the first game behind good team defense and imposing frontcourt play. Princeton’s height advantage continued to give Rutgers-Newark problems throughout the first game. The Scarlet Raiders were unable to put a dent into the Tigers’ lead, as Eichler’s customary combination of solid serving and powerful hitting proved too much for Rutgers-Newark to handle. Princeton finished the first game similar to the way it started, with junior outside hitter Phillip Rosenberg’s kill giving the Tigers a 30-19 victory.

Rutgers-Newark started the second game with newfound resolve, fighting its way to an early 6-5 lead. The Scarlet Raiders would not relent, using greatly improved frontline play and a few untimely errors by the Tigers to extend their lead to 19-15.

An authoritative block by six-foot, nine-inch junior middle blocker Mike Vincent seemed to switch the momentum of the game, sparking a 9-5 Princeton run that tied the game at 24. From here, the Tigers returned to their game-one form, using an ace by Eichler and a kill by sophomore outside hitter Carl Hamming to force a Rutgers-Newark timeout. A Vincent kill gave the Tigers a game point at 29-27, and the Tigers converted a point later on an Eichler kill to eke out a 30-28 win.

“We were making way too many service errors in the second game,” junior libero Ka’ohu Berg-Hee said. “But we were able to turn it around by just making plays in the second half of the game.”

The Orange and Black kept its foot on the gas in the third game, rushing to a 6-0 lead behind Berg-Hee’s great defense. The Hawaii native’s diving dig off a Rutgers-Newark spike turned what appeared to be a Scarlet Raider kill into a Tiger point.

Rutgers-Newark continued to fight, using some impressive defense of its own to spark a comeback and tie the game at 15. Eichler’s continued dominance up front helped Princeton recapture the lead, 21-19. The Scarlet Raiders refused to go away, however, briefly capturing the lead at 27-26.

On this night the Tigers would not be denied, with kills by Vincent and Hamming giving Princeton a match point at 29-28. Another Eichler spike gave the Tigers a 30-28 win and the 3-0 sweep.

The win was a nice start to the Tigers’ important mid-season home stand. After opening the season with seven of their first eight games on the road, the Tigers are hoping to use the upcoming three-week stretch as a springboard to a successful year.

“We always start out playing more games on the road, and then we play more at home during the second half of the season,” Eichler said. “Hopefully we can get a nice streak going now that we’re back to playing in front of our fans.”

The Tigers’ home stand will also give Princeton the opportunity to solidify its team defense and improve its serving.

“We’ve been horrible at serving so far this season,” Berg-Hee said. “The time at home will allow us to work on our serving and passing.”

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If tonight’s victory is any indication, this home stretch seems to be the perfect medicine for a Tiger team that is high on talent but has struggled to find a rhythm this season.