Courtesy: Beverly SchaeferThe Princeton men's volleyball took over sole possession of second place in the EIVA, but it came with some significant work. The Tigers ran their win streak to three with a gritty 3-1 victory over visiting Sacred Heart.
The win moves Princeton to 6-4 overall, 5-2 in the EIVA, and moves the Tigers a half game ahead of idle Saint Francis. Harvard could move even with the Red Flash if it can earn a road win Friday at George Mason, and that would set up a Saturday showdown for second when the Crimson take on Princeton at 4 p.m. in Dillon Gym.
Though Sacred Heart is at the bottom of the EIVA standings, it made Princeton fight for everything in three of the four sets Friday night. Princeton took the match 26-24, 25-14, 20-25, 30-28.
Freshman Cody Kessel led Princeton with 15 kills, while junior Michael Dye added nine kills and seven digs. Sophomore Davis Waddell added five kills, but he was a defensive force with a match-best 14 digs. Senior setter Scott Liljestrom recorded 34 assists, seven digs, four blocks and three kills in a strong all-around effort, while freshman Will Siroky added eight kills and a team-best seven blocks.
Princeton got a kill from Kessel and an attack error to break a tie in the opener and take a 26-24 win. The Tigers carried that momentum into the second set and ran away with a 25-14 win. For the second straight home match, Princeton was unable to put away a 2-0 lead, and thus it needed to play a fourth. It would be a dramatic finale, as the Tigers had to fight off one set ball, and then finally converted on their seventh match ball on a hitting error.
