UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The EIVA regular season title is on the line as Penn State hosts No. 19 Princeton at Rec Hall for the final weekend of conference play. The teams play Friday at 7 p.m., and again Saturday at 3 p.m. Both matches will stream on B1G+.
Princeton needs just one win to clinch the EIVA regular season title and hosting rights for the conference tournament for the first time since 2019. Penn State has to win both matches to put the tournament at Rec Hall for the fifth-straight year.
While only Penn State and Princeton are in contention for the top seed in the EIVA Tournament, there are three teams -- Penn State, NJIT, and Harvard -- that can still grab the second seed and a bye to the semifinal round if Princeton were to win the conference. The Nittany Lions are currently in second at 7-3, NJIT is 6-4, and Harvard is 5-5. The Nittany Lions would lose head-to-head tiebreakers against both teams.
HOW TO FOLLOW
Friday, April 18 – 7 p.m.
Princeton (13-9, 9-1 EIVA) at Penn State (10-14, 7-3 EIVA) | Live Stats | Watch
Saturday, April 19 – 3 p.m.
Princeton (13-9, 9-1 EIVA) at Penn State (10-14, 7-3 EIVA) | Live Stats | Watch
PROMOTIONS/THEME
• Friday - Great Hoppening
• Saturday - Beach Party
LAST TIME OUT
• Penn State swept the season series at George Mason with a pair of come-from-behind five-set wins Friday and Saturday. The Nittany Lions trailed 2-1 in both matches.
• Ryan Merk averaged 2.60 digs/set while recording double-digits in both matches, helping hold the Patriots to .219 hitting.
• Of the 10 sets played, seven were decided by two points and three sets went to extra points.
• Penn State upped its winning streak to 11 straight matches in the series with George Mason while improving to 122-18 in the all-time series.
SERIES HISTORY
• Penn State and Princeton will meet for the 77th and 78th time. The teams first played in 1977.
• The Nittany Lions lead 67-9 in the all-time series, including a 34-3record at Rec Hall.
• Penn State has won five straight matches against Princeton, including both matches in New Jersey last season. The Tigers last win in the series came in the semifinal round of the 2022 EIVA Tournament at Rec Hall.
SCOUTING PRINCETON
• Princeton is in first place in the EIVA at 13-9 overall and 9-1 in the conference.
• The Tigers were picked fourth in the 2025 EIVA Preseason Coaches Poll. Senior setter Henry Wedbush and senior opposite Nyherowo Omene were named as Players to Watch.
• Princeton ranks first in the EIVA in blocks/set (2.48), hitting percentage (.279), and opponent hitting percentage (.219). Omene ranks first in aces/set (0.49), hitting percentage (.333), kills/set (.425), and points/set (5.14).
CAREER HIGHS SET LAST WEEKEND
at George Mason (4/11)
• Ryan Merk - assists (6)
• Michael Schwob - digs (11)
at George Mason (4/12)
• Carter Dittman - kills (7), assists (1), digs (9)
• Michael Schwob - assists (61)
STREAKS TO WATCH
Will Kuhns
• 7 straight matches with at least one ace
• 3 straight matches with double-digit kills
Ryan Merk
• 85 straight starts at libero
Owen Rose
• 5 straight matches with five or more kills
Michael Schwob
• 5 straight matches with seven or more digs
UP NEXT
• The EIVA Tournament will be played at either Penn State or Princeton on April 23-26.