Seton Hall falls to Princeton 3-1

Date: September 11, 2018

By Michael Daly

Seton Hall fell to the Princeton Tigers 3-1 in a highly entertaining and nail biting match.

In the first set, the Pirates came out on top winning 25-22 thanks to six kills in the first set by Caitlin Koska. The Tigers came back towards the end of the set because of Maggie O’Connell’s aggressive upfront attack at the net.

The momentum that the Tigers gained towards the end of the first set helped spark a run in the second set, as they were on top of the Pirates 19-8 towards the end of the set. The Pirates, despite dropping this set, managed to cut into their deficit and finish with a score of 25-17.  

To begin the third frame, the Tigers jumped out to a nine to two lead and it looked like the Pirates were heading downhill until Coach Yeager called a crucial timeout. The Pirates then went on a five-nothing run to make the game 9-7. After this, the Tigers took control once again and ended the third set on top with a score of 25-19.

In the fourth and final set, the Pirates were well aware of their backs being against the ropes. They came out swinging as Claire Forrest registered three kills in the early stages of the set. The set went back and forth, as the Pirates had a 24-22 lead towards the end of the set .Just as they were trying to seal a victory, Alexa Underwood of Princeton provided three crucial kills. Those three kills were enough for the Tigers to escape South Orange with a 3-1 victory over the Pirates.

The final score is misleading, as the Pirates hung close for majority of the action. When asked about what her team could have done differently, Coach Ally Yeager said, “We didn’t pass very well and we played inconsistently overall. One moment we would play very well and the next we would give up easy points.”  

Abby Thelen led Seton Hall with a team high 14 kills and Koska recorded a double-double with 11 kills and 14 digs.

With the loss, the Pirates fall to 4-6 on the season. They will next play in the Hofstra Invitational which begins on Friday with the Pirates taking on Dartmouth at 2 pm.

Michael Daly can be reached at michael.daly@student.shu.edu

Posted in: Sports, Volleyball, WSOU