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Obvious Dislcaimer: The attitudes and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author; they do not necessarily reflect those of anyone in the Princeton Volleyball Program
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A Good Time Had by All: Tigers Beat CalLast night at Dillon Gym, the men's volleyball team (22-1 overall, 6-0 EIVA) laid claim to a whole host of bragging rights in a 15-10, 15-13, 15-12 vicotry over UC-Berkeley before a colorful record crowd.Despite No. 16 Princeotn's obvious satisfaction of notching another win, the rewards of last night's labor, which came on the heels of a Wednesday night sweep of Queens, will extend far beyond the end of the season. After a match that saw 24 Californians - rivals, teammates, neighbors and twin brothers - on the court, each Tiger will likely ahve plently of oportunties ot reimind the Bears that you don't have to stay at home to still play sweet volleyball. "There were more bragging rights won tongight than in any other match," said junior opposite Scott Birdwell. "I play all these guys on the beach (in L.A.). If I had lost, they'd have given me years of crap." But beyond all the casual rivalries in which the Tigers can now claim dominanace - the most far-flung of which was that between junior middle Dan Brandt and former teammate from his high school in Hawaii - the most poignient one was that between Birdw ell and his twin brother, Chris, who started at opposite for Cal and led its valiant attempt to upset the Tigers. Chris won the individual battle by racking up 22 kills to Scott's 20, although Scott, along with freshman setter Jason Morrow, led the match in digs, with 11. "My brother's really good," said Scott. Throughout the match, both Birdwells put forth solid offensive efforts playing before their parents and sister, Whitney '01, but while Chris was one of only two consistent Bear hitters, Scott was backed up by a Tiger squad that took full advantage of its depth. The outsides - seniors Joe McCarthy and Jon Wimbish and junior Jeff Cooper - tooled the Cal block and baffled the Cal defense all night long. Cal though did not put up much of a fight. Its passing was consistently imprecise, and Princeton's defense - which was at times nothing short of spectacular - stifled the Bear attack. However, Princeton experinced a number of lapeses, and though it was never in danger of losing a game, it did allow Cal to rack up some well-earned points, especially in the third game, when Princeton almost blew a 14-5 lead. "There was no way I was going to call a time out against Kenny "Ganji" Rogers ('87)," said head coach Glenn Nelson, who always kept his faith in his team. "This late in the season was have to start putting teams away," Wimbish said. But rather than being overly concerned about on-court issues, Wimbish said, "I think everyone's looking forwad to the party afterwards." top Princeton, Birdwell Face Special Rivalry in CalTomorrow night's men's volleyball match against UC-Berkeley marks the first time since Loyola Marymount's 1991 basketball visit that a team from the West Coast has graced the Princeton campus, but after traveling the breadth of the country the Bears a nd the No. 16 Tigers (21-1 overall, 6-0 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) will face each other, in Dillon Gym at 7:30 p.m., in a match that might as well take place at a California backyard barbeque. Of the twelve starters that will take the court tomorrow, all but two hail from within a hundred mile radius of one another, and many friends and former high-school rivals will find themselves in an unlikely battle for east-west suprmacy. However, Princeton has already clinched the second seed in the EIVA playoffs, and Berekely stands to benefit only from the experince, so both teams must find more profound sources of motivation. "It's going to be more of a fun match," junior outside Jeff Cooper said. "But it's definitely not a match that we want to lose." Despite the high quality of play that the Bears will bring to Dillon and the sheer novelty of their lengthy trip - which they take in part because they are an at-large team that, despite hanging with the nation's best out west, does not play a full sc hedule in the West Coast league Q the most heated rivalry between the two teams is one that has developed not in pick-games at the beach or in random high school or club competition. In fact, the greatest battle that will be played out tomorrow night is one that began on Moreno Dr. on the Westside of Los Angeles, under the very same roof. All season long junior opposite Scott Birdwell has led the Tiger offense and encountered few peers, but he may very will find a worthy rival in BerekelyUs own junior opposite, who is none other than his twin brother, Chris. Tomorrow marks the first time that the Birdwells have ever faced each other in official competition. Prior to college, the Birdwells experinced parallel volleyball careers, having played for the same high school and club teams. They played against eac h other only at the beach or in scrimamges. Both played three years on varsity, along with Cooper, at erstwhile powerhouse Brentwood School. At the time, Cooper anchored BrentwoodUs offense, but with Scott at opposite and Chris alongside Cooper at outside, the three of them, after being liberat ed from some dead weight in the class above them, led Brentwood to a top-5 national ranking their senior year. Meanwhile, Chris and Scott, whose nearly identical appearance confused foes and teammates alike, remained teammates on their Santa Monica Beach Club juniors team. "It's going to be different from high school because Chris had Cooper carrying him," said Scott Birdwell. "Now that I have Cooper on my side, it'll be interesting to see which Birdwell prevails." At Brentwood, Scott honed his offensive skills and mastered hitting from the right side, whereas Chris, though not as strong a hitter as Scott, spent time at all four positions and did not settle into opposite until is sophomore season with the Bears. Furthermore, despite ScottUs clear success on the court and total dedication to volleyball, Chris is having a better time at Berekeley. "Chris is the best all-around player in the sport of volleyball," Scott said. "And socially, he's a success." "Take volleyball away from Scott and he has nothing," Chris said. "Chris isn't as much of a meathead," said Scott, "but that may be his downfall." Tomorrow freshman setter Jason Morrow may be called upon to help Scott Birdwell rack up the kills, but while Scott usually baffles opposing defenses, if anyone can stop a Birdwell, it is another Birdwell. "Growing up, Chris always played better defense," Scott said. "It'll be interesting to see how many times he digs me and how many times I don't dig him." Filling out the non-Birdwell, segment of the lineup, head coach Glenn Nelson will likely start Cooper and senior outside Joe McCarthy as well as senior middle Dan Eggers and junior middle Derek Devens, who continues to lead the nation in hittinger per ecentage. Nelson also has his own battle to fight, because while the Birdwells and others are going at it on the court, Nelson faces a worthy rival in BerkeleyUs coach, Kenny Rogers '87, who played under Nelson for four years at Princeton. top Rutgers-NewarkFails to Disrupt Tigers' Perfect EIVA Season A division champtionship has never come so easily. For the first time ever, the men's volleyball team (21-1 overall, 6-0 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Assoc.) captured a perfect 6-0 finish in the EIVA Hay Division by virture of a 15-7, 15-11, 15-3 t hrashing of Rutgers-Newark last night at Dillon Gym.With their 18th straight win, the No. 16 Tigers have sercured the second seed in the upcoming EUVA playoffs. And in six league matches, Princeton swept all but two foes. "I feel as if we've glided through the season," senior outside Joe McCarthy said. "I felt like tonight might be a battle, but it wasn't." Given a storied history of intense battles against the Raiders, Princeton expected serious competition, but poor passing and error-filled Raider hitting - from a team that averages well over six feet - failed to challenge a Tiger team that was decidedly n ot stoked about playing the biggest match of the season during midterm exams. "Practice has been pretty pathetic the past few days," McCarthy said. "People's heads just weren't in it." Newark, which has played some strong matches this season, including a five-game loss to No. 2 Penn St., faced a superb opportunity to shake up the Hay standings, but from the very first point, it never once enjoyed a lead. Ironically, Newark showed the most promise when it was down, 13-1, in the first game. At that point, Princeton struggled to side out and gave up six stright points before ending the Raider surge. The second game was much closer, but at no time did the Tigers trail, and their compusure remained strong enough to pull away after being tied, 10-10. Newark then shanked its way to a 13-1 deficit in the third game, and, apparently eager to return to Newark, handed the Tigers the match-ending blowout. "I thought the whole match would be more like the second game," head coach Glenn Nelson said. "It took me by surprise for us to be up 13-1 and 14-3." Key to the Tiger victory was steady passing from McCarthy and senior outside Jon Wimbish. Thwarting Newark's huge block, junior middle Derek Devens' 15 kills anchored the Tiger attack. The outsides did not fare so well offensively, and only junior opposite Scott Birdwell was able to reach double-figures, with 13 kills. "It was hard for us to push through without the support of (junior fan) Rags Gupta," Birdwell said. However, economics professor Beth Bogan did attend, and "somehow we pushed through the dark times." For now Prnceton enjoys nothing but happy times, with a two-week break adn the comfort of having now beaten every team in the EIVA, with the exception of Penn St., which the Tigers now cannot hope to play until the April 19 EIVA finals. top Tigers to Face Rutgers-Newark for Hay TitleFor the past four years, the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Hay Division title has rested on one match: the match between Princeton, a recent EIVA upstart, and Rutgers-Newark, an erstwhile national powerhouse. Tomorrow night at 7:30 (an i deal time for a studybreak) the No. 16 Tigers (20-1 overall, 5-0 EIVA) hosts Newark at Dillon gym, and it does so for the first time as the favorite.In 1994 a nationally ranked Raider squad dashed PrincetonUs hopes in four close games; the same thing happened in 1995, when the Raiders handed it its only Dillon loss of the past four years. But last year, the Tigers snapped their 12-year losing stre ak, won the Hay Division, took second in league and have not looked back since. In the midst of a 17-game winning streak, the longest in the NCAA this season, Princeton faces a streaky Newark squad that is 4-1 in league. "This Wednesday is huge for both teams," Wimbish said. "Maybe it doesn't matter if we're seeded second or third (behind No. 2 Penn St. in the EIVA playoffs), but if we lose to Rutgers we have to share the title with not only Rutgers, but LIU-Southampt on. That would not make me happy." Though Princeton-Newark matches are always close, the two teams represent a study in contrasts that goes beyond the obvious difference between Pricneton's suburban tranquility and Newark's urban decay. , Raiders consist largely of international players - many from Latin American and the Carribean. Led by setter Ariel Rodreiquez, who arguably has the best hands in the east, Newark depends on a complex, hard-hitting offense. Meanwhile, the majority of the Tigers grew up on the same California beaches, where they honed superb ball control skills. Newark's diversity may in fact be its downfall, and mental stability may prove to be Princeon's greatest asset. "They've been up and down all year," Nelson said. "You don't know which Rutgers team is going to show." With the exception of a lone loss to No. 7 Long Beach St., Princeton has maintained a consistently high level of play all season, and if it plays up to its potential, Princeton may in fact blow away the Raiders and allow the Dillon hoards to return to their studying early. top Princeton Wins Windmill ClassicThe Tigers built up their confidence up nicely by winning this weekendUsWindmill Classic at Long Island-Southampton. Friday the Tigers demolished Division III No. 4 New Jersey Tech, 15-4, 15-3, 15-6, and Saturday they beat the hosts, 15-11, 15-7, 15-1 2. Two weeks ago, Southampton gave Princeton its biggest scare of the year in a close 3-1 win, and after upsetting Newark last week, the Colonials could have made a bid for first place with a win over Princeton and a Tiger loss to Newark. Though Nelson considers Southampton to be the "Pepperdine of the East," the Hamptons, lovely as they may be, are not Malibu, and the Colonials are certainly not the No. 4 Waves. The role of upstart did not suit Southampton, and the Tigers, led by a phenomal performace from senior outside and tourament MVP Joe McCarthy, crushed the Colonials' dreams. "I think Southampton's confidence is shaken," Nelson said. "Now teams get fired up to play them; they're finding out what it's like to be us." Meanwhile, the Tigers found out just how good they are. Sidelined by a shoulder injury, junior outside Jeff Cooper - second on the team in offense, behind junior opposite Scott Birdwell - was left simply to breathe ocean air and sample the ambience of the Hamptons while the rest of the Tigers discovered the true extent of their depth. Filling in for Cooper - who is expected to return Wednesday - McCarthy collected 25 kills while passing nails all weekend. Birdwell put away 20 kills against Southampton, and he and junior middle Derek Devens joined McCarthy on the all-tournament team . "Joe is a lord," Wimbish said. "He really came through for us in the tough spots." Princeton Muddles Through ESULast night at Dillon Gym, the No. 16 menUs volleyball team (16-1 overall, 5-0 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) played two different matches during its 3-1 victory over East Stroudsburg. In the first match, a barely awake Tiger squad played to a tie, 15-9, 12-15. But after an hour of letting the Warriors have their way, Princeton snapped out of its malaise to blow away ESU, 15-1, 15-3, in the second half of the evening, which took not even half as long as the first. "They're not a bad team," senior outside Joe McCarthy said. "They're a lot better than some of the teams weUve been playing lately, and we just started out taking them too lightly." In the first game, the Tigers' offense showed little spark, while ESUUs defense and passing made up for its own weak offense. Nevertheless, after a 2-4 start, Princeton pulled ahead and hung on. Inspired by their strong showing in the first game, the Warriors came alive in the second. Fighting back form a 4-8 deficit, ESU tied it at 11-11, as Tiger passing broke down completely and Warrior defense remained strong. "In the first two games, I couldn't buy a kill," senior middle Dan Eggers said. Even with a chance to regain serve and close out the game at 12-13, Princeton clearly had trouble mustering the will to do so. No aspect of ESUUs play remotely forecasted a Tiger loss, and Princeton dropped the second game with the resolve simply to r egroup for the final two games. The Tigers, however, gave up the first point of the third game, but after trailing 0-1, they fired off 15 straight points to give ESU a proper display of Tiger volleyball. ESU's passing broke down, and its setter QJdespite Rbuttery handsS in the estimation of senior setter Mark McAnlis QJfailed to run an offense that could get the ball past the Tigers. Led by strong serving performances, including a seven-ace field day from junior opposite Scott Birdwell, Princeton racked several points on every rotation to silence a Warrior squad that had gone nuts over its win just minutes before. At the close of the third game, a wayward squad of emergency medical technicians wandered into Dillon, apparently sensing ESUUs imminent demise, but they still had to wait one more game, and sat patiently in the bleachers. The Tigers treated them to yet another good show in the fourth game. Junior outside Jeff Cooper caught fire, while junior middle Derek Devens established PrincetonUs somewhat dormant middle attack. And both Cooper and senior outside Joe McCarthy eleva ted their passing game immensely. "The third and fourth games were as well as weUve played all year," Nelson said. "It's almost like we have to lose one game to get fired up." Cooper's 19 kills on 36 swings led the Tigers, followed by Birdwell with 16. Freshman setter Jason Morrow picked up 12 digs. top Princeton Whumps Weak NYU, VassarMidway through its season, the men's volleyball team (15-1 overall, 4-0 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) has entered the doldrums of the late winter. Like a ship in the South Pacific without strong winds, the No. 17 Tigers are rocking gentl y amidst weak opponants.Displaying sub-par play, Princeton defeated NYU 15-3, 15-10, 15-3, Tuesday, and Wednesday it shot down Vassar, 15-11, 15-4, 15-5. Between last Sunday's momentous four-game victory over Long Island-Southampton and the March 12 home showdown against league archrival Rutgers-Newark, Princeton must contend with a bevvy of foes which pose virtually zero threat. "These two weeks are tough," head coach Glenn Nelson said. "We sleepwalked through these two matches, and we'll probably sleepwalk through the next few. But two weeks from now, we can't afford to play that (poorly)." With wins predestined, the only real challenge for the Tigers currently lies in amassing individual stats - some of which rank among the nation's best - and in experimenting with different lineups. Against the raging Violets of NYU, every single Tiger - save injured senior outside Jon Wimbish - enjoyed playing time in a lethargic match that did not even match the drama of the "Jews Can Jump" basketball tournament that followed it in Dillon Gym. As a team Princeton hit .500 for the night and, most notably, freshman outside Pablo Clarke passed nails and put away two kills on three swings in his college debut. The inclusion of the Tiger bench, though, did nothing to stop the purple VioletsU bleeding. NYU passed poorly, and its best player - freshman Rob Schwartz, "a legend in Long Island," according to freshman fan Alex Lim - showed little of his high school pr owess and failed to intimidate the Tigers, most of whom hail from California. Though tougher foes force Princeton to pass perfectly and take advantage of its full arsenel, mediocre passing, half-hearted hitting and some defense sufficed this week. Junior opposite Scott Birdwell enjoyed a fine night by putting away 20 kills only 24 sets. Currently ranked third nationally in defense, senior outside Joe McCarthy had no trouble improving his average against the fluttering Violets. McCarthy picked up 14 digs to contribute to his 2.89 digs-per-game average. Four years ago, then-captain John Hutchinson `94 said, "the flying Violets had fire in their eyes, but they had their grundle trimmed." Now that Hutchinson is an assistant coach, his words ring no less true; only, NYU's fire is dimmer and its grundle shor ter. For those fans who missed Tuesday's match, Wednesday's Vassar match was exactly the same. McCarthy almost singlehandedly took care of the Brewers by tallying a match-high 13 kills on 18 swings and no errors and once again had 14 digs. Another newfound source of firepower, sophomore middle Brandon Vegter put away six kills on six swings to hit a perfect 1.000. Senior outside-turned-setter-turned-outside Mark McAnlis also enjoyed a fine stint in the thrid game, as did freshman middle Tom Dowd. "McAnlis and Vegter played well," Nelson said. "That was the most boring match I've ever seen," said junior outside Jeff Cooper.
Tonight the Tigers travel to Caimbridge, Mass., for tomorrowUs match against Harvard, the last-place team in the Hay division and clearly the weakest Division I team in college volleyball. Most exciting for the TigersU is the poximity of their hotel to th
e next-door McDonald's. Barring an act of god, Princeton will take Harvard in three games.
Tigers Beat Tough LIU Squad in 4This weekend, the No. 17 men's volleyball team (14-1 overall, 3-0 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association) took on two EIVA rivals in the hopes of giving head coach Glenn Nelson his 399th and 400th career wins.Considering the Tigers' strong recent play against a largely weak field of league opponents, Nelson had every reason to stock the fridge and book the caterer, but after a solid 15-10, 15-9, 15-13 win over Juniata Saturday and a much tougher 11-15, 15-12, 15-11, 15-7 win over Long Island-Southampton, Dillon Gym did not provide the sort of party atmosphere that pervades during PrincetonUs more common routs. Nelson, in his 19th season, now ranks second in wins among Princeton men's coaches, after former men's basketball coach Pete Carril, and is among the top-10 in men's college volleyball. "After you've been coaching for 20 years, if you donUt have 400 wins, you're no good," said Nelson, whose .758 win percentage tops Carril's by almost .100. Despite reaching the milestone, Nelson said, "I'm kind of angry at the team right now. We didn't show any emotion in the second game (against LIU), and I thought they were going to blow us away in three games." The LIU match was a vicious battle for a piece of first place in the EIVA hay division, and, clearly a step above PrincetonUs usual EIVA fodder, LIU came close to handing Princeton only its second home loss in four years. With a tremendous offensive perfo rmance, the Colonials provided a stark contrast to the Tigers, who rely upon immaculate ball control and offensive diversity to shut down more physical foes. Sunday, though, LIU - or, more specifically, six-foot, six-inch sophomore middle Kyle Robinson - was something more than merely physical. With a vertical leap rivaling NBA players and a reach that extended three feet over the net, Robinson ruined the Tige r defense, as he would the defense of almost any other team. LIU set Robinson at every possible juncture and from all six positions. However, spotty passing and a horrible setter - who set skyballs with tragic hands - countered Robinson's offensive contributions, and only one other Colonial hitter consistently put the ball away. In the first game, Princeton put on an uncharacteristically poor defensive showing, and LIU blocked and hit its way to a comfortable victory. Furthermore, strong Colonial serving - with a nice mix of floaters and jump serves - unsettled Princeton's pa ssing game. But midway through the second game, the Tigers began to shirk off inconsistency and to get over the intimidation of Robinson. "If those two guys are hot," Nelson said. "They can beat us two-on-six." Mustering a true team effort, Princeton needed every one of junior outside Jeff CooperUs and senior outside Joe McCarthyUs perfect passes and every one of freshman setter JasonUs Morrow's smart sets. But once the TigersU regained control of their ball control, a nicely balanced offense, led by 23 kills from Cooper and 21 from junior opposite Scott Birdwell, and more intense defense eventually quelled a Colonial squad intent on breaking into the le ague's elite. "They were a good team," Birdwell said. RWe were a lot streakier than we should have been. "We had points of brilliance here and there," echoed McCarthy. "They put up a bigger block and served tougher than most of the teams we play." McCarthy started all three games in place of senior outside Jon Wimbish, benched because of a rotator cuff injury. "Joey came through big," Nelson said. "He's 5-11 and he's going up against a guy whoUs 6-6 and jumps out of the gym." In Saturday's lackluster defeat of Juniata - the Tigers' second in three weeks; Cooper and Birdwell led once again with 21 and 19 kills respectively. top Tigers to Host Juniata, LIUThis weekend Princeton enjoys two opportunities to entrench itself further in its winning groove and to improve its EIVA standing.Saturday at 2 p.m. in Dillon Gym, the Tigers face Juniata, ranked No. 1 in Division III. Two weeks ago Princeton soundly defeated Juniata, 3-1, but if their near-perfect play persists, the Dillon crowd should witness an inspiring thrashing. "We really appreciate the crowd that came out last Saturday," Nelson said. "Anyone who likes good volleyball and isnUt coming to see us is really missing out." Sunday at 4 p.m., the Tigers host Long Island-Southampton in their first big match of the EIVA season. Also 11-1, LIU handed Princeton its only East Coast loss all last season, and the Tigers will be fired up to exact revenge. "As far as I'm concerned, LIU has two hitters," Nelson said. "As long as we shut them down, we'll be fine." Lacking in ball control, LIU is led by Kyle Robinson, who, with incredible leapers, has been tormenting weaker eastern teams, and Mike Salak, who is ranked eighth in KPG. But the Tigers' balanced offense and stellar defense, coupled with a healthy th irst for Colonial blood, promise to frustrate even LIU's biggest guns. The LIU match will also cap off a huge day of volleyball in Dillon. Sunday morning the womenUs club team hosts a round-robin tournament with Rutgers and Boston University. top Princeton Kills SpringfieldUsually, driving six hours round-trip and taking off half a day of school only to win a ridiculously lopsided victory would not seem like a great use of time. But the men's volleyball team (11-1 overall, 2-0 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association ) is loving the carnage, no matter the distance.Wednesday's 15-4, 15-3, 15-9 win at Springfield (Mass.) - much like last Saturday's more severe drubbing of George Mason - entirely lacked competitve drama, but not because Springfield was particularly awful. Rather, Princeton is at the top of its gam e, and each match of late has produced incremental improvment. "Springfield wasnUt a bad team," head coach Glenn Nelson said. "They had some great hitting, but we're just playing great. This is a special team." The Tigers are so special, in fact, that even without top-ranked competition - of which the No. 16 Tigers are certainly worthy - they have had no trouble maintaining their edge. Perfect passing has enabled freshman setter Jason Morrow to establish strong rapport with his hitters, who prior to Wednesday's .535 hitting performance, collectively ranked third in the nation, at .358. Furthermore past problems of mental lapses and streaky play have faded of late. Wednesday night offered no surprises, as junior opposite Scott Birdwell and junior outside Jeff Cooper led the Tigers, with 16 and 12 kills, respectively. Though a trifle ill, senior Jon Wimbish picked up eight kills on 12 swings, and Birdwell, ranked 15th in kills per game at 5.41, also picked up 10 digs, to lead the team total of 37. top Tigers Ream G. MasonDuring the post-game handshake following Saturday's men's volleyball match, a George Mason player went down the line and, as he extended his hand, said to each Tiger, "Thanks for the ass-whupping."If ass-whuppping was what the Patriots really wanted, then sincere gratitude was definately in order after Princeton (10-1 overall) destroyed GMU, 15-3, 15-2, 15-4, in a match full of simple beauty on one side of the net and near tragedy on the other. "We played, it was fun," said junior opposite Scott Birdwell. Despite height, athleticism and a complex offensive strategy, the Patriots could barely pass, hit or play defense. At no point in the match did GMU, historically one of the best teams in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyall Association, remotely chal lenge the host Tigers. "I was really disappointed with Mason's play," senior outside Jon Wimbish said. "The match is over, and I'm not even warmed up." At Dillon Gym, like in "Evita,""the best show in town was the crowd." Fans, including a very supportive cadre of Zeta Psi pledges and even volleyball fans from the community at large, packed the Dillon bleachers to witness a non-event that further sol idifies Princeton's realistic bid for a national ranking in this week's Top-15 poll. Wimbish and the hoards of Tiger faithful might have liked to have witnessed the execution of MasonUs rare and daring left-side offense. But about midway through the first game, the Patriots, guided by head coach and former U.S. National Team player Uv aldo Acosta, gave up on setting from the left and on the match in general. While Princeton hit an insane .542, Mason responded with weak shots and error upon error. Hitting .265, GMU racked up 23 errors while getting dug 20 times. "Those guys can't hit one ball," senior middle Dan Eggers said. Meanwhile, Patriot ball control was as abysmal as its offense. At no point did GMU consistently pass to the setter, and as the match wore on, Patriot passing grew so bad that the Patriots rarely set anybody other than the outsides and just could not s ide-out. Furthermore, the Patriots' defense was so poor that they had no transition game to speak of. "They dug, like, seven balls," head coach Glenn Nelson said. "Either we have great hitting or they have no defense." In fact GMU racked up a grand total of nine digs, but despite the weakness of its foe, Princeton still attended to matters on its side of the net and put on a near-perfect performance. Previously this season the Tigers have been lulled into inconsistency by weak, uninspiring opponents, but Saturday Princeton maintained its focus to string together three equally strong games. The outsides - Wimbish, junior Jeff Cooper and senior Joe McCarthy - put on a passing clinic and rarely forced freshman setter Jason Morrow to take more than a step or two away from his home position. "Our passing was perfect; we're that good," Nelson said. But the Tigers have yet to attain true perefection. "I still think we can play better defense, but maybe I'm just greedy." But Tiger hitters couldnUt have asked for more. With three options on almost every play, Morrow put four Tigers into double figures, three of whom amassed astronomical kill percentages. Junior middle Derek Devens managed to improve upon his own NCAA-leading .546 kill percentage. He hit .875 and put away 15 kills around the tall but porous (and sometimes nonexistant) Patriot block. Birdwell consistently tooled the Patriot block en route to 14 kills, while Wimbish put away 10 balls, with zero errors, and hit a career-high .833. Cooper hit a slightly more modest .696 but put away a match-high 20 kills, thus proving correct a fan who shouted, midway through the second game, "It's your world, Coop!" Tomorrow Princeton travels to Springfield and then returns to Dillon for a pair of afternoon matches Saturday and Sunday. "We're all that and a bag of chips," assistant coach John Hutchinson '94 said. top Princeton to Host EIVA Rival George MasonSaturday an unfamiliar visitor returns to Dillon Gym to face the men's volleyball team (9-1 overall) at 1 p.m. A national powerhouse in years past, George Mason refused to enter the Tigers' house of pain for the past several years.But this season, the tables have turned, and for GMU, they have turned in a big way. A struggling Patriot squad comes north from Fairfax, Va., hoping to unseat No. 17 Princeton, but lacking strong individual players, GMU has reverted this season to the most unorthodox strategy known to volleyball: the left-side offense. Used briefly by the French national team in the '70s and virtually unheard-of at any level, the left-side offense places the setter on the left side of the net and takes advantage of left-handed hitters. Fans who come to witness this curiosity will see Patriot setter Jason Oliver set quick backsets to his outsides, while trying to set across his middles' bodies on the quicksets. Sets on the right, the mainstay of many teams' offenses, will have to tra vel the entire width of the net. Sticking to the basics, Princeton will counter with a solid, balanced offense that of late has relied on strong play in the middle. Clicking nicely with freshman setter Jason Morrow, senior middle Dan Eggers is hitting .413, while junior Derek Devens, after a 23-kill, two-error outing at East Stroudsburg Wednesday, is hammering at a blistering .537 pace. With junior outside Jeff Cooper on fire lately and junior opposite Scott Birdwell hammering as usual, a unified Tiger effort ought to foil GMU. Were the Patriots solid individual players, its scheme might throw off an opponent, whose blocking and defensive strategies would have to adapt significantly. Furthermore, the novelty of the setter's relocation could psyche out an opposing team. However, with the exception of star Mike Duckworth, GMU offers little firepower to back up the flair of its strategy. And PrincetonUs stellar defense does not promise to boost Patriot self-esteem. "It's not going to bother us at all," head coach Glenn Nelson said. The Patriots enjoy height in the middle, but otherwise, weak hitting and poor ball control plague have relegated them to the middle of the EIVA pack, against which Princeton hopes simply to improve on its already impressive season. Though the Tigers will have to keep themselves focused Saturday, they also can gain confidence by looking West, where developments among the sportUs elite bode well for the Tigers. Wednesday night, No. 10 Southern Cal, the only team to upset No. 1 Stanford, fell in five games to UC-San Diego, which Princeton defeated only two weeks ago. Though ranking by the transitive property is a little dubious, parity in the West suggests th at Princeton, as long as it stays on course and thrashes teams like GMU, can make a legitimate claim to national recognition. "Nobody knows how to play this game anymore," said Nelson. "Except us, and sometimes we can't even play it." top St. Francis Pine Power Classic Feb. 9, 1997About 200 miles down the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the remote mountain town of Loretto, two major attractions woo the intrepid traveler: The Palace restaurant and entertainment center and the annual St. Francis Pine Power Classic. And this weekend, the th e menUs volleyball team brought its leaps and its Visa cards, because in Loretto, they donUt like losers, and they donUt take American Express.Playing four matches in two days, Princeton (7-1 overall), ranked de facto 17th nationally by virtue of a point in this weekUs poll, did not play its best but nonetheless beat the entire tournament field of St. Francis, Concordia, Eastern Mennonite an d Division III No. 1 Juniata to win its sixth Pine Power championship. With the difficulty of finding inspiration against inferior foes, none of the Tigers was "really satisfied" with the teamUs overall play, which was marred by inconsistent passing and occasional lapses in concentration, according to junior opposite Sco tt Birdwell. "It's always hard to get pumped to play (lousy) teams," said Birdwell. "We were just lucky that the other teams played badly." Friday afternoon, the Tigers defeated the hosts, 15-12, 15-10, 17-15, in a match made interesting only by the Saints' poor sportsmanship. Despite being clearly outmatched by the Tigers, St. Francis persisted in "a lot of (trash)-talking," according to Birdwell. "They were really cocky for no reason, even when they were down in the third. They tried to beat a smarter team by getting into our heads." Princeton responded to St. Francis' taunts with some inconsistent play, but that was due more to the interminable van ride (and the SaintsU home-court advantage) than anything else. A nicely warmed-up Tiger squad proceeded Friday evening to thrash lowly Concordia, 15-7, 15-5, 15-7. Stifling weak Clipper hitting, Princeton picked up an absurd 44 digs, while the Concordia defense allowed the Tigers to hit .447. The Concordia match served to build up the Tigers' appetites for dinner. The hungriest Tigers were senior outside Jon Wimbish, who contributed a near-perfect 16-kill, one-error performance against St. Francis, and junior outside Jeff Cooper, whose 27 kills led the Tigers on the day and foreshadowed greatness from Princeton's potentially greatest outside weapon. "Coop's pretty good," head coach Glenn Nelson said. But regardless of individual performance, a unified Tiger squad sought refuge and refueling at The Palace, where abundant neon and a girl named Leigh stoked the Tigers' competitive fires. Refreshed from a night in the mountain air, an unstoppable Princeton squad resumed its domination the next morning against Eastern Mennonite, to which Princeton gave up 12 points. Total. Against Eastern Mennonite, sophomore middle Brandon Vegter contributed the most impressive performance of his career. Vegter, arguably the teamUs hardest hitter, put away 12 balls and hit .785. In years past, the Pine Power Classic has enticed its co mpetitors with t-shirts, but this year, Princeton played only for glory. And Saturday the Tigers met Juniata, which, from the onset of the round-robin tournament, posed the only threat to a Tiger championship. In Juniata, Princeton faced not another of the EastUs pitiful squads, but rather a solid team that perennially tries to break into the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association elite. Led by Div. III all-American middle Chris Fazio and embodying the hopes and dreams of the entire school, Juniata ran a quick offense and came out determined to derail a Tiger squad that hopes to bring into April playoffs nothing less than a spotless l eague record. Despite dropping an ugly first game in which Princeton led 10-5 early on, the Tigers settled in for a solid 15-17, 15-11, 15-3, 15-10 victory. "I was nervous about the manner in which we dropped the first," Nelson said. "But if we don't make mistakes, we're OK." Against Juniata, Birdwell tallied a typical 28 kills, but the real offensive power came from Cooper, who contributed a phenomenal overall performance. Cooper put down a career-high 33 kills and in doing so hit 690, an unheard-of percentage for an outside. And Cooper even picked up 12 digs. |