No. 1 Princeton to Face No. 3 Penn State in EIVA Championship

No. 1 Princeton vs. No. 3 Penn StateÂ
Saturday, April 26 | 5 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+
 
PRINCETON, N.J. –Seeking its fourth EIVA Championship title all-time, the no. 1 seeded Princeton men’s volleyball team will face no. 3 Penn State in the EIVA tournament final on Saturday. The first serve is set for 5 p.m. on the Tigers’ home court, Dillon Gym. 
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How They Got Here

• Princeton advances to the championship match after downing no. 4 George Mason, 3-1, on Thursday night in Dillon.
• Senior captains Nyherowo Omene and Henry Wedbush led the Tigers, with each setting new career-highs on the night as Omene tallied 28 kills and Wedbush made 52 assists.Â
• Omene hit 28-7-46 for .457, also adding three aces, six digs and two blocks.Â
• Mason Rice tallied 13 kills and five blocks, while Owen Mellon hit 12-3-23 for .391.Â
• Princeton claimed the EIVA regular season title last Friday with a 3-1 win over Penn State last Friday night on the road in Happy Valley.
• In the match, Ryan Vena led the Tigers defensively, making nine blocks including one solo in the match. Vena also tallied five kills for .333 hitting, two aces and two digs. For his efforts, Vena was named EIVA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, the first weekly nod of his career.
• With the win last night, Princeton’s record improves to 15-10 on the season.Â

 
League Recognition

• The Tigers were strongly represented in the EIVA’s postseason awards, as announced on Tuesday.
• Wedbush was named the EIVA Player of the Year as the senior led Princeton this year, guiding them to one of the best defenses in the NCAA. The Tigers rank third nationally in blocks per set (2.58) and 13th in opponent hitting percentage (0.218).Â
• Wedbush made a team-high 759 assists for an average of 9.37 a set, which put him third in the league and 24th nationally.Â
• Sam Shweisky was named EIVA Coach of the Year. Shweisky, in his 16th year as Head Coach at Princeton, also received the honor in 2019 and 2010.
• Three Tigers were named to the First Team All-EIVA in Omene, Wedbush and Vena.Â
• Mason Rice was named to the Second Team All-EIVA, in his first year, while classmate Roan Alviar was named an All-EIVA Honorable Mention.Â

 
In the Rankings

• Princeton leads the EIVA in eight stat categories, among them hitting percentage (.281), points per set (15.48), and blocks (2.58/s).Â
• Nationally, the Tigers rank third in blocks, 13th in opponent hitting percentage (.221) and 23rd in hitting percentage.Â
• Omene currently leads the EIVA in four categories, including kills (4.40), aces (0.46), points per set (5.30) and hitting percentage (.334).Â
• Omene ranks third in the nation in points per set and fifth in kills per set.Â
• Wedbush ranks third in the EIVA and 24th nationally in assists per set with 9.54.
• Sophomore Tristan Whitfield currently ranks fourth in the EIVA in blocks per set with 0.96 and a total of 70 on the season, as the 2024 EIVA Freshman of the Year continues to be a defensive powerhouse for the Tigers.
• First-year Roan Alviar leads the Tigers and ranks fifth in the EIVA with 1.66 digs a set.

 
EIVA History

• Princeton is seeking its fourth title, also winning the EIVA Championship in 1998, 2019 and 2022.
• The Tigers’ 2022 title came from a 3-2 win over Penn State in University Park.Â
• This will mark Princeton’s eighth trip to the EIVA finals.Â
• The Tigers were picked to finish fourth in the EIVA preseason standings.Â
• Omene and Wedbush were named to the 2025 EIVA Players to Watch list. Both seniors were named to the All-EIVA First Team at the conclusion of last season.
• The Tigers are led by Sam Shweisky, who has coached the Tigers to 2 EIVA Championships and 6 EIVA Finals. Shweisky is in his 16th year as head coach of the Princeton men’s volleyball program, and he is assisted by Joe Norton in his second year.

 
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