TOWSON, Md. – Regardless of the outcome, a Tiger team was going to win Thursday night's matchup between Towson University and Princeton University.
 
Unfortunately, it was the home-standing Towson Tigers on the short end of a five-set match at SECU Arena. Princeton took the match 3-2, winning 25-27, 25-20, 21-25, 25-18, 15-7.
 
After playing strong volleyball in the first three sets, including a 31.8 hitting percentage in the third frame, Towson (3-4) faded late and swung just 14.3 percent in the fifth set. Rookie Emily Jarome led Towson in her SECU Arena debut with 19 kills. Marrisa Wonders and Kristin Spengler set up the Tigers with 26 and 20 assists, respectively.
 
Princeton (4-1) had three players with double-digit kills, led by Maggie O'Connell. It was the Princeton Tigers' second fifth-set match of the day after falling to Long Beach State 3-2 in the Towson Invitational opener.
 
How It Happened

• After a back-and-forth first half of the opening set, the Towson Tigers found themselves trailing 18-15. Towson scored five of the next six points to take a one-goal, 20-19 lead. Jarome got the kill on a Jocelyn Kuilan assist.
• The teams again traded blows as the set featured seven ties with both teams in the 20s. With the frame tied at 24, Towson took control with Annie Ertz and Olamide Sonuga scoring kills with the game's deciding point coming on a Princeton attack error for a 27-25 Towson win.
• Set two was another tight battle in the early goings, featuring five ties in the first 10 serves of the set. Towson pulled away to take a 12-8 lead, with Sonuga scoring on two of those points with a block, assisted by Ertz, and a kill.
• Princeton pulled a run of its own, scoring five-straight points for a 20-18 advantage with Devon Peterkin on the line. The visiting Tigers held off the home Tigers to take the second set 25-20.
• Adding to Towson's control of the third set, Princeton put down a would-be block but the ball bounced off a Tiger player before Ertz made a highlight-reel play and kicked the ball up with her foot, setting up a powerful Jarome kill to give Towson a 12-7 advantage.
• Set three was all Towson early as the Tigers built to an 11-5 lead. Princeton put in a pair of points to cut the lead to four, but Towson knocked down four of the next six chances to wrest a 15-9 lead back. Princeton challenged late and pulled within two, 23-21 in favor of Towson, but back-to-back kills from Silvia Grassini and Jarome gave the Tigers a 2-1 set lead.
• Princeton jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the fourth set, aided by three Towson miscues on the attack. Towson pulled three points back to get within two of the lead, but Princeton held the Towson squad at bay until the home team ripped off four-straight points to tie the frame 13-13.
• After a Princeton timeout, the visitors reeled off four unanswered points for an 18-14 lead. The visiting Tigers closed out the set for a 25-18 lead.
• The deciding set began the same way the fourth did, with Princeton jumping out to a 5-0 lead. Towson scored back-to-back points to make it 5-2, but those would be the home Tigers' lone consecutive points of the fifth set as Princeton pulled away to win 15-7 and take the match.

 
Behind the Numbers

• Jarome led Towson's attack with 19 kills, with Kuilan closing in with 14 kills. Ertz added another nine for the Tigers.
• O'Connell led Princeton with her 21 as Clare Lenihan and Peterkin put in 15 and 11, respectively.
• The home Tigers put up four service aces while the visiting squad had six. Jessie Harris had a game-best 56 assists.
• Grassini led Towson with a .455 hitting percentage while Ertz dropped in a pair of aces. For the match, Towson hit 23.5 percent while Princeton hit at a 28.3 percent clip.

 
Up Next for Towson

• The Tigers will need a short memory as Towson hits the court at SECU Arena on Friday afternoon at 1 p.m. to meet Long Beach State for the first time in series history.
• First serve is set for 1 p.m. in the second match of the day as Princeton and Missouri open day two of the Towson Invitational at 10:30 a.m.

 
- TowsonTigers.com –