Men's volleyball ends season with loss to Penn State, Ivy tournament win

When the smallest player on the court makes a block at the net, it can be the kind of play that sparks an underdog to an improbable upset.

In the third game of the men's volleyball team's regular season finale against Penn State Saturday, the two teams were tied 1-1 in games. Senior setter Jason Morrow's play put the Tigers up 13-8 in the third game and within range of a redeeming win over the Nittany Lions.

Unfortunately for the Tigers, however, Morrow's spectacular play in the third game of the Penn State match Saturday was just another missed opportunity in a season marred by inconsistency. Princeton went on to drop the next seven points and their fourth game 15-2 for a 3-1 loss.

In Sunday's Ivy League Tournament, Princeton emerged with a seventh straight title to conclude its 2000 campaign on a positive note. But the loss to Penn State encapsulated the Tigers' Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association struggles this year.

As had been the case all season, Princeton (7-11 overall, 3-9 EIVA Tait Division) was plagued by inconsistency in their loss to visiting No. 15 Penn State (17-13 overall, 14-0 EIVA Tait).

The Tigers won the first game of the match, 15-11, lost the second, 15-10, and led the third 13-8 before Penn State rallied. Morrow's block to post the Tigers' 13th point would be the team's last in the game. The Nittany Lions took the third game, 15-13, and scored 12 unanswered points to start the fourth game.

Princeton had little recovery time, however, with the Ivy League tournament the next day. The Tigers swept the field of mostly club teams — Harvard (12-6, 8-2 EIVA Odeneal) was the only other varsity squad competing in the tournament and Brown and Columbia did not send teams.

"They've never been to an Ivy League Tournament that I've played in," junior opposite Kevin Roche said.

Princeton took advantage of its weaker opponents, winning every game en route to a showdown with Harvard in the finals. From the start it appeared that the two teams were slated for a championship match.

The Crimson offered the Tigers their first real challenge of the afternoon. Princeton opened up an early 12-4 lead in the first game before Harvard cut the gap to 12-7. The Tigers eventually pulled out a win in the first game, but the momentum had swung to the Crimson's side.

Harvard scored the first seven points of the second game and seemed well on its way to forcing a third contest when Princeton rallied.

The Tigers clawed themselves back into the game, pulling even at 13-13. The Crimson would score the next point, but no more. Princeton won the second game, 16-14, and was crowned the 2000 Ivy League Champions.

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Despite the Tigers late-season success, the Ivies will be Princeton's only postseason crown. After the loss to Penn State, the Tigers ended up three wins short of an EIVA playoff berth.

"We were playing better volleyball the past couple of matches," Morrow said.

Looking to next year, the captain added that, "They'll have a bigger setter and five other guys who've played a whole lot. I wish them the best."

While the team did not make the EIVA Tournament, several individual players did have outstanding seasons for the Tigers. Here are The Daily Princetonian's 2000 Men's Volleyball Award Winners.

Offensive MVP — junior middle Ryan Black — A former lacrosse player for the Tigers, Black was a frequent recipient of setter Morrow's assists.

He finished the year with the best attack percentage on the team at .373. The second highest percentage was held by junior outside Steve Cooper with .292.

Defensive MVP — Steve Cooper — Cooper boasted outstanding play in several different statistical categories.

He had the second highest combined total of receptions (25), blocks (24) and digs (95) on the season behind Morrow. The setter captain, however, had no receptions during the year.

Rookie of the Year — freshman middle Dennis Alshuler — As the only freshman to see considerable time on the court with the Tigers this year, Alshuler was a clear choice for the Rookie award. He led the team in both kills (295) and service aces (13).

Most Valuable Player — senior setter Jason Morrow — Morrow was truly the most valuable asset to the Princeton team this year. No other player had a greater impact on the team as a whole, both with his statistically superior production (954 total assists; 16.17 per game) and his intangible leadership. The Tigers trailed Yale 8-4 in the second game of their Ivy League Tournament match before Morrow came in. Princeton won the game, 15-11, the match 3-0 and went on to win the league title.

Losing only two seniors to graduation, the Tigers should expect to build on the experience of several of this year's young stars. Looking to Black, Cooper and Alshuler, along with a strong supporting cast, Princeton has a chance to return to its former EIVA glory in the years to come.