In a showdown between the top two teams in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA), the No. 19 men’s volleyball team (14–10 overall, 10–2 EIVA) split their weekend series against the Penn State Nittany Lions (11–15, 8–4) this weekend. The Tigers entered the matchup needing just one win to clinch the regular season title. They got the job done on Friday night in a 3–1 victory, before resting much of their starting roster on Saturday afternoon and falling 3–0.
“[It was] a really gritty and just impressive all-around team performance,” men’s volleyball Head Coach Sam Shweisky told The Daily Princetonian. “To be able to win on the road at Penn State was pretty special, and to be able to clinch first place in the conference with still one match to go and be able to set it up to host the tournament for the second time in Princeton history next week is really special.”
Friday’s match also broke a three-year losing streak to the Nittany Lions, with Princeton last defeating them in the 2022 EIVA championship game. Broken as well was Penn State’s streak of hosting the EIVA Tournament each year since 2019.
“My record against Penn State isn’t incredible, so it feels good to beat them,” senior setter and captain Henry Wedbush said to the ‘Prince.’ “Getting to bring the tournament home and win the regular season has been a goal of mine since freshman year.”
With both teams in the top 10 nationally for blocks per set, Friday’s match displayed some of the most competitive EIVA play from the get-go. Wedbush and junior middle blocker Ryan Vena combined for two blocks in the first two points, but Penn State replied with three blocks of their own, leaving Princeton down 15–10 early in the first set.
A 7–1 run from the Tigers, capped off by a combined block from the other two captains, sophomore middle blocker Tristan Whitfield and senior opposite hitter Nyherowo Omene, put the Tigers back up 17–16. The run proved to be the difference, as Princeton took the first set 25–22.
“I think we have a really good philosophy that if we hone in on what makes us good, a lot of what the opponent will be doing becomes blue,” Omene told the ‘Prince.’ Omene is the reigning EIVA Offensive Player of the Week and has been the standout in Princeton’s offense, leading the EIVA in kills, service aces, and, by far, points.
The Tigers narrowly lost set two in a thrilling 27–25 double deuce, primarily because they allowed the Nittany Lions to double their first-set kills from nine to 18 despite Princeton also recording their highest kills on the night (14). Now tied 1–1, the Tigers needed to reorganize to keep their title hopes alive and not let Penn State capitalize on their momentum.
“I’ve got to give a lot of credit to my assistant coach, Joe Norton, who’s doing an incredible job with the blocking defense,” Shweisky said. “As offenses evolve over the course of the match, he’s keeping really detailed stats and notes and makes key adjustments.”
The adjustments paid off as several team blocks and a late 7–0 run, sparked by a signature Omene kill, gave the Tigers the third set with a dominant 25–18 scoreline, capped off by a Wedbush solo block.
“This maybe isn’t the strongest Princeton team that we’ve had in the last few years, but we’ve found a level of grit and a level of fight that, you know, I haven’t seen in previous teams,” Wedbush said. “And it’s really working.”
That grit was showcased in the fourth set, when the Tigers found themselves down 21–16 and eyeing a potential fifth set in University Park. The Orange and Black fought back with two kills from Omene for a heroic 5–0 run that tied it 21–21. Vena was pivotal on defense Friday night, recording a game-high nine blocks, while Omene finished with the game-high 19 kills.
After a service error, a triple block from first-year hitter Mason Rice, first-year middle-blocker Ethan Wells, and Wedbush gave control of serve back to the Tigers with the match tied at 22. On the next play, Wedbush fed Omene for another kill, before Omene paired with Wells for another massive block that put the Tigers at match-point 24–22. To nobody’s surprise, Omene hammered home the final point for a 25–23 fourth-set win, a 3–1 match win, and the regular season title, as the team rushed the court for an iconic scene inside Rec Hall.
“We’re excited to get it done in that fashion that we did,” Omene said, but he was already focused on the next goal. “I think while there was immediate excitement, we’re all looking towards playoffs and just trying to be better every day.”
With the EIVA Tournament a few days away and having already secured the No. 1 seed, Shweisky gave much rest to most of his starters in Saturday’s match. Junior hitter Austin Kerker and junior setter Kyle Gschwend played their first career matches with the Orange and Black, while rotation players like sophomore setter Nolan Kelly and junior hitter Andrew Werner enjoyed significant minutes.
“That seemed like the smart thing to do,” Shweisky said. “Whether or not you win the match, you play with pride and dignity and passion and put the talk on the floor, so I was really proud to see the guys do that [on Saturday].”
The inexperienced lineup was swept 3–0, although Werner hit his career-high in kills (12). Sophomore hitter Jameson Vaccaro also had a season-high 12 kills. But the loss does not mean anything to the Tigers, as they have their eyes set on adding a possible fourth championship to the history books.
“I’m excited to play at home; I’m excited to see a lot of my friends in the stands,” Wedbush said. “I can’t wait for the tournament to start — I can’t wait to bring the championship home hopefully.”
Entering as the No. 1 seed, Princeton will receive a first-round bye and face the winner of George Mason and Charleston in Thursday’s semifinal. Should they advance, the final is set for Saturday, April 26 inside Dillon Gymnasium.
“A lot is on the line, a lot of passion will be there,” Omene concluded. “We’ll put on a good show.”
Bryant Figueroa is an assistant Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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