Princeton Men’s Volleyball Team Heads to California
This week, the Princeton men’s volleyball team is traveling to California. They have two exciting matches lined up: the first against #11 UC San Diego (UCSD) on Monday, followed by a game against #17 California State University, Northridge (CSUN) on Wednesday.
About the Tigers
Princeton is riding high after a recent 3-2 victory over Dominican in their home arena. Owen Mellon and Andrew Werner stood out in that match, both achieving personal bests in kills—Mellon with an impressive 25 and Werner with 18. This marks Mellon’s second career-high this season; he’s also had a strong performance against #5 USC, where he scored 20 kills.
Mellon’s scoring average is notable, landing him third in the Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA) with 3.60 kills per set. On defense, Nolan Kelly is a key player, averaging 2.11 digs per set, ranking third in the EIVA. He also contributes significantly to the offense, averaging 7.80 assists per set.
Tristan Whitfield rounds out the Tigers’ strong defense with an average of 1.00 blocks per set, placing him fourth in the EIVA. Princeton was ranked fourth in the EIVA preseason poll, with Mason Rice and Ryan Vena acknowledged as players to watch.
Last season, the Tigers claimed the EIVA regular season title but narrowly lost in the finals against Penn State. Under the guidance of Head Coach Sam Shweisky, who is in his 17th year, the team is looking to build on last year’s performance.
About #11 UCSD
UCSD, with a record of 10-6, recently lost 2-3 to #12 UC Santa Barbara. They have notable successes this season, including a clean 3-0 sweep against #17 CSUN. Sebastiano Sani leads the Tritons with an average of 3.52 kills per set, while Ben Warren contributes significantly to the defense with 1.33 blocks per set. Historically, Princeton has faced UCSD 19 times, winning only 4 of those matches.
About #17 CSUN
CSUN holds a record of 10-5 and is coming off a tough loss to UCSD. Jalen Phillips is the standout player for CSUN, with an impressive 3.83 kills per set. Joao Favarim leads the team with an average of 0.81 blocks. Historically, Princeton has a competitive record against CSUN, sitting at 3-4 in their series.
Additional Insights
Recent data shows a growing interest in collegiate volleyball, particularly among younger viewers. A recent survey indicated that around 40% of college sports fans are now following volleyball games closely, reflecting a rising trend in the sport’s popularity.
With the matches this week, fans are eagerly looking forward to seeing if Princeton can build momentum against tough opponents in UCSD and CSUN. Engaging with sports on social media has also seen a spike, with hashtags for collegiate volleyball trending as excitement builds around these games.
For the full story and live stats, you can check out the Tritons’ website and catch the games live on ESPN+.
