Conference News
Juniata Takes Advantage of Princeton Errors in Win Over Tigers
Juniata Takes Advantage of Princeton Errors in Win
Over Tigers
PRINCETON, N.J. - Juniata College outhit Princeton
University and took advantage of numerous Tiger miscues on its way
to a 3-2 win over the Tigers, in an EIVA Tait Division matchup
Friday night in Princeton, N.J. Set scores were 21-30, 30-28,
30-27, 29-31, and 15-10.
The win was Juniata's third in a row, its sixth in the last seven
matches, and gives the Eagles a season sweep over Princeton (5-5,
2-2 EIVA Tait).
Sophomore outside hitter Chris Vrooman (Baden, Pa./Ambridge Area)
led the Eagles with 19 kills on 32 swings, while junior outside
hitter Zach Wanner (Lancaster, Pa./Hempfield) tallied 17 kills.
Senior middle Dan Powers (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) turned
in his second stellar performance in as many nights, racking up 14
kills on 28 swings with only two errors, and making eight total
blocks.
Senior Matt Werle (Meadville, Pa./Meadville) set 61 assists for the
Eagles, while junior libero Anthony Damiano (Lititz, Pa./Manheim
Township) turned up 12 of Juniata's 49 digs.
Aiding Juniata's cause were 31 Princeton attack errors, to go with
22 service errors against only eight service aces. The Tigers were
held to .272 hitting for the match, including a .000 attack
percentage in the decisive fifth set, while the Eagles hit .292 for
the match.
Princeton captured the first set easily, using a four-point run -
including three kills by Jeff McCown - to break an 8-8 deadlock.
The Tigers slowly pulled away from there, closing out the set with
three straight points.
Set two opened in Juniata's favor, with the Eagles taking eight of
the first 10 points of the set. Juniata maintained a four-point
advantage throughout much of the set, with Princeton finally making
a move 25-21 with three straight points. A side out kill by Vrooman
temporarily stopped the Tiger rally at 26-24, and a block by Werle
and Evan Halteman (Perkiomenville, Pa./Christopher Dock) stretched
the Eagle lead to 27-24.
Three straight side out kills left Juniata holding a 28-26 lead,
but Princeton tied the set at 28-28 with a McCown block and a Mike
Vincent service ace. The Eagles responded with back-to-back kills
by Wanner and Powers, to finish off the set in Juniata's favor.
Juniata captured the third set, with a four-point run at 18-18
breaking open the set for the Eagles. A Dan Follett (Cranberry
Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) kill opened the run, with a pair of
blocks by Powers and a Werle service ace fueling the drive. Powers
eventually wrapped up the win on Juniata's third attempt at set
point.
The Tigers sent the match to a winner-take-all fifth set, after
taking the fourth set on extra points.
Juniata was on match point in the fourth set, 29-28, but a McCown
kill tied the set at 29-29. Rosenberg's kill put the Tigers on set
point, and a block by McCown and Carl Hamming gave the set to
Princeton.
Princeton grabbed a 3-0 lead in the fifth set, but Juniata answered
with two points on Tiger attack errors and a third point off a
block by Wanner and Powers. Back-to-back side out kills left the
set knotted at 4-4, when Juniata started to pull away from
Princeton. The Eagles gained one point on the Tigers with Vincent
Tuminelli's attack error at 5-4; four side out points later,
Juniata gained two more points over Princeton with a Rosenberg
attack error and a Wanner kill.
The two squads traded four more side out points, moving Juniata's
lead to 11-8, and back-to-back kills by Wanner and Follett
stretched the Eagle lead to 13-8. Four more side out points later,
Juniata won match point on a kill by Powers.
McCown led Princeton with 21 kills, with Vincent chipping in with
17 terminations. Rosenberg and Tuminelli had 15 kills each.
Rosenberg also had 17 digs for the Tigers.








