Princeton, N.J. – Charleston downs Princeton in five set thriller on Friday night. The Golden Eagles were then defeated by the Tigers on Saturday night in another close five-set match to end the regular season.
 
GAME 1
 
The Basics:
Location: Dillon Gymnasium
Score: UC 3, PU 2
Records: UC 12-14 (3-6 EIVA), Princeton 11-11 (4-5 EIVA)
 
How it Happened:
In the first game of the two-game series, the Golden Eagles took a commanding first set victory by a score of 25-16 over the Tigers. Charleston hit .400% and kept the Tigers to just a .091% hitting percentage while committing seven errors.
 
In the second set Charleston could not continue their dominate rhythm and committed nine errors in the set, posting a negative hitting percentage of -.074 and eventually falling to the Tigers 25-19 despite the set being tied at 18-18.
 
In the third set Princeton found themselves ahead with an early 6-3 lead, but the Golden Eagles battled and scored the next six of eight points to turn the set around and take the 9-8 lead. Several points later Princeton had the lead again, 16-14, but the Golden Eagles responded with a three-point run to take the lead back 17-16. Both teams battled for the remainder of the set, trading side outs back and forth until Charleston took the third set 25-23, now leading the match two sets to one.
 
Charleston had the early lead at 7-4 in the fourth set, but Princeton went on a rally and took the lead 11-8 after several Golden Eagle errors. Charleston did not see the lead for the rest of the set, Princeton taking the fourth set 25-18 and forcing a winner take all fifth set.
 
The Tigers scored the first two points in the fifth set, but Charleston responded with a four-point run to take a 4-2 lead. Princeton then scored the next six of seven points, taking the lead again, ahead 8-5. Charleston then went on a three-point run to tie the set at 8-8 after the side change. The next several points went back and forth, Princeton taking a 12-11 lead, but Charleston scored the next four points to take the match victory.
 
GAME 2
 
The Basics:
Location: Dillon Gymnasium
Score: UC 2, PU 3
Records: UC 12-15 (3-7 EIVA), Princeton 12-11 (5-5 EIVA)
 
How it Happened:
Charleston once again was dominate in the opening set of game two, taking the set victory 25-16 and forcing the Tigers to hit -.15% with seven errors. Charleston had 16 kills in the set good for a .387 hitting percentage.
 
Set two went the way of Princeton, the Tigers taking the second set 25-17 hitting an impressive .706%.
 
In the third set, both teams battled back and forth, Princeton with a late set advantage at 24-22. Charleston scored the next two points to tie the set at 24-24, but the Tigers scored the last two points to close out the set 26-24 and take the 2-1 match advantage.
 
The fourth set was another back-and-forth set, the teams tied at 15-15 and again at 18-18. Charleston then scored the next four of five points to take the advantage over the Tigers, leading 22-19. The Golden Eagles went on to close out the set at 25-21, forcing a fifth and final set.
 
Princeton took the slight advantage at the midpoint in the set, leading 7-5 over Charleston, but before the side change the Golden Eagles battled back to even the score at 7-7, Princeton taking the eighth point as the teams switched sides. Charleston then scored the next three points, but Princeton responded and even the score 10-10. The teams traded points, the set tied at 15-15, but Princeton scored the final two points to take the fifth set 17-15 and the match 3-2.
 
Up Next:
Charleston will face off with the Princeton Tigers on Wednesday, April 17^th at 4:30PM at Penn State for the first game of the EIVA Conference tournament.