Princeton, N.J. — Charleston split a two-match EIVA road series against Princeton on March 27 and March 28, sweeping the Tigers in the opener before falling in straight sets in the finale.

Game 1

The Basics:
Location: Princeton, N.J. (Dillon Gym)
Score: Charleston 3, Princeton 0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-17)
Records: Charleston 13-9 (4-3 EIVA), Princeton 4-10 (0-5 EIVA)

How It Happened:
Charleston set the tone early in the opening set, turning a 7-5 lead into an 11-5 advantage with a five-point run highlighted by a service ace from Braxton Francis and a kill from Max Nissen. The Golden Eagles controlled the set throughout, extending the lead to 17-10 behind Lucas Torres before reaching 20-12 on a kill from Yotam Briger. Princeton cut into the deficit with a short run, but Charleston closed with three straight points, including kills from Torres and Joonatan Salpakari, to take the set 25-17.

Set two opened tight at 6-6 before Charleston created separation. After Princeton briefly took the lead with a four-point run, the Golden Eagles answered, tying it at 12-12 on a Torres service ace and following with a 4-1 run to lead 16-13. Charleston maintained control late, reaching 20-17 on a Pavlin Ivanov kill and pushing to set point behind a Salpakari service ace. A Princeton service error ended the set at 25-20.

In the third, Charleston took over after a 4-4 start, using a five-point run sparked by kills from Torres and Ivanov along with Princeton errors to go up 9-4. Another five-point run extended the lead to 14-5, and Princeton never recovered. A Francis service ace pushed the advantage to 20-11 before Charleston closed the sweep at 25-17.

Offensively
Lucas Torres led the Golden Eagles with 14 kills, while Max Nissen added nine and Pavlin Ivanov and Joonatan Salpakari each contributed five. Yotam Briger finished with 35 assists as Charleston hit .411 as a team.

Defensively
Charleston controlled the net with 18 total blocks, including multiple block assists from Max Nissen and Yotam Briger. The Golden Eagles added 20 digs, with Joonatan Salpakari and Lucas Torres leading the back row.

Game 2

The Basics:
Location: Princeton, N.J. (Dillon Gym)
Score: Princeton 3, Charleston 0 (25-11, 27-25, 25-14)
Records: Charleston 13-10 (4-4 EIVA), Princeton 5-10 (1-5 EIVA)

How It Happened:
Princeton controlled the opening set from the start, using a 6-0 run fueled by Charleston errors to take early command. The Tigers steadily extended the lead to 20-10 and closed the set with three straight kills to win 25-11.

Charleston responded in set two with a stronger start, building a 9-6 lead behind a kill from Braxton Francis, a block by Francis and Yotam Briger, and a Briger kill. The Golden Eagles pushed the lead to 14-9 and later 20-16 on another Francis kill. Princeton answered late with a five-point run to take a 22-21 lead. The set remained tight with ties at 22, 23, and 24, and Charleston reached set point at 25-24, but Princeton closed with three consecutive kills to win 27-25.

In the third, Princeton again took control early, building a 10-6 lead and extending it to 16-7. Charleston struggled to generate consistent offense as Princeton pushed the lead to 20-9 and closed out the match 25-14.

Offensively
Lucas Torres led Charleston with 10 kills, while Braxton Francis added six and Max Nissen finished with five. Yotam Briger recorded 25 assists.

Defensively
Charleston finished with 15 total blocks, with Briger contributing multiple block assists while also leading the team with five digs.

Up Next:
Charleston returns home to face Penn State on April 3 at 7 p.m. inside the Wehrle Innovation Center.