No. 1 Princeton to Face No. 4 George Mason in EIVA Semifinal

Princeton vs. George Mason
Thursday, April 24 | 5 p.m.
Live Stats | ESPN+
 
PRINCETON, N.J. – After winning the EIVA regular season title, the Princeton men’s volleyball team will begin its EIVA tournament bid at home in Dillon Gym with the semifinal on Thursday. 

Princeton will face the winner of Wednesday’s first match between No. 4 George Mason and No. 5 Charleston.

Last Time Out

• Princeton claimed the EIVA regular season title and hosting rights for the tournament with a 3-1 win over Penn State on Friday night on the road in Happy Valley.
• Senior Nyherowo Omene led the Tigers with 19 kills. Fellow senior Henry Wedbush dished out 42 assists on the night.Â
• Ryan Vena led the Tigers defensively, making nine blocks including one solo in the match. Stuffing the stat sheet, Vena also tallied five kills for .333 hitting, two aces and two digs.Â
• For his efforts, Vena was named EIVA Defensive Player of the Week on Monday, the first weekly nod of his career.
• After the title-clinching win on Friday and a 3-0 loss to Penn State on Saturday, Princeton enters the EIVA tournament 14-10 on the season and 10-2 in conference play.

 
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 fifth nationally in blocks per set (2.55) 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 (.277), points per set (15.48), and blocks (2.55/s).Â
• Nationally, the Tigers rank fifth in blocks, 13th in opponent hitting percentage (.219) and 24th in hitting percentage.Â
• Omene currently leads the EIVA in three categories, including kills (4.27), aces (0.44) and points (5.17) per set. He is also second in hitting percentage (.333).Â
• Omene ranks third in the nation in points per set and sixth in kills per set.Â
• Wedbush ranks third in the EIVA and 24th nationally in assists per set with 9.37.
• Sophomore Tristan Whitfield currently ranks fourth in the EIVA in blocks per set with 0.95 and a total of 60 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 1.70 digs a set.

 
Looking Back

• 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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