Browsing: EIVA

PRINCETON, N.J. – In a hard-fought heartbreaker, the Princeton men’s volleyball team fell 3-0 (20-25, 25-27, 19-25) to Penn State in the EIVA Championship final.

With the loss, the Tigers end the season with an EIVA regular season title and an overall record of 15-1.Â

Nyherowo Omene led the Tigers with 13 kills in the match. Henry Wedbush made 26 assists on the day, also adding one solo block and two block assists. Roan Alviar made nine digs.Â

For their efforts, Omene and Wedbush were named to the EIVA All-Tournament team.Â

How It Happened
Penn State got off to an early lead in set one, using a series of early runs to have a six-point advantage by 10-4. The Nittany Lions continued to maintain that lead, despite Princeton’s efforts to climb back as they brought themselves within two at 15-13 with a big block and an ace by Wedbush. However, Penn State would continue to outpace the Tigers offensively, and they took set one 25-20.

Looking to equalize, Princeton entered a close set two. The Tigers held onto an early narrow lead before Penn State tied the set at 11 and again at 14. It was then the Nittany Lions who would take the advantage, again a short-lived lead as Princeton equalized at 19. The two sides then entered a close race to set point. Omene made a late kill to tie the set at 25 to keep the Tigers’ hopes alive, but with the next two points going to Penn State, the Nittany Lions took the set 27-25.Â

In set three, Princeton was able to go point-for-point with Penn State until 4-4, when the Nittany Lions took off on a 6-0 run. Penn State was able to extend the lead to nine points by 19-10 as they continued to outpace Princeton. Despite a late surge from the Tigers, the Nittany Lions would end the set 25-19 and take the EIVA title with a 3-0 win.Â

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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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PRINCETON, N.J. – Led by a career-high 28 kills from Nyherowo Omene and a career-high 52 assists from Henry Wedbush, the no. 1 seeded Princeton men’s volleyball team defeated the no. 4 seeded George Mason Patriots 3-1 (25-20, 23-25, 25-22, 26-24) in the EIVA semifinals to advance to Saturday’s championship match.Â

Mason Rice made a team-high five blocks, with Roan Alviar making a team-high 5 digs.

How It Happened
Princeton and George Mason took off into a close race right as they entered set one, with Princeton holding onto a one-point lead after 10 points. That lead would grow into a three-point, four-point, and ultimately five-point lead as Omene tallied six kills, and Mason Rice and Owen Mellon added four apiece.Â

Keeping the momentum up, Princeton entered set two with a big kill from Rice and another big block from Ryan Vena and Wedbush helping the Tigers to a 4-1 lead. Princeton continued to maintain that lead throughout the first half of the set, but George Mason chipped away at it steadily, taking the lead at 18-19. The Tigers fought to stay in the set, but ultimately the Patriots tied the match at one, taking the set narrowly 25-23.Â

Princeton entered set three determined, taking an early lead and running as the set saw no ties and no lead changes. In a race to 25 points, Omene tallied nine kills in the set, with Wedbush making 14 assists. George Mason tried to catch up to the Tigers, but they were never able to equalize despite coming within a few points, and Princeton would regain the lead 2-1 with a set score of 25-22.Â

Looking to finish the job, the Tigers fought to take set four. Taking an early lead at 2-1, Princeton was able to build on and maintain the advantage throughout the rest of the set, fighting off six ties with George Mason but not once relinquishing the lead.Â

Omene again made nine kills in the set, this time joined by five from Mellon and four from Rice, who had 12 and 13 on the night, respectively. With the set knotted at 23-23, a kill by Omene and another kill by Rice put the Tigers at 25, needing one more to clinch the win.Â

Seniors Wedbush and Omene, leading the team as they have all season, combined for one more kill to call the set 26-24 and send Princeton through to the championship.Â

Of Note

• Princeton hit .357 on the night as a team.Â
• Omene hit 28-7-46 for a whopping .457, also adding three aces, six digs and two blocks.Â
• Mellon hit 12-3-23 for .391.Â

Up Next
Princeton will face Penn State in Saturday’s EIVA Championship Final. The first serve is set for 5 p.m. in Dillon Gym.  
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