Wednesday, March 12
Northridge, Calif.
6:00 p.m.
California State University at Northridge
14-3,0-1Big West
3
vs
1
Princeton
6-8,1-1EIVA
1
2
3
4
F
Princeton
27
24
25
20
1
CSUN
29
26
22
25
3
Photo by: Steve Fitzgerald
No. 7 CSUN Wraps up Homestand With 3-1 Win Over No. 19 Princeton
3/12/2025 9:47:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – Jalen Phillips and Stilian Delibosov combined for 32 kills as No. 7th-ranked CSUN men's volleyball team wrapped up a six-match homestand with a 3-1 win over No. 19 Princeton in a non-conference match on Wednesday night at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
CSUN, which finished 5-1 on its season-long homestand, is now 9-1 over its last 10 matches to improve to 14-3 on the season.
Phillips finished with a team-high 17 kills, hitting .306 on 36 swings to go with four digs and a pair of blocks. Delibosov, who ranks second in the nation in hitting, added a season-high 15 kills on .684 hitting along with three blocks and one ace. Freshman Joao Favarim also set a season-high with nine kills, hitting .750 on 12 errorless swings.
Senior setter Donovan Constable continued his impressive all-around play with 47 assists, four kills, three digs, and two aces while leading the CSUN hitters to a .355 clip.
S1 - CSUN 29, PU 27 – In a set that featured 21 total ties, CSUN led 9-5 early on following a Delibosov ace. A co-block by Favarim and Phillips kept the Matador lead at three (12-9) when the visitors rallied back to take a 13-12 lead. After a Princeton service error pulled CSUN, the teams traded sideouts until 23-23 when the Tigers had four swings at the set. The Matadors would save four set points and would cash in a Tigers' hitting error and a Princeton service error which sent CSUN to the 29-27 win.
S2 - CSUN 26, PU 24 – Princeton held an early 12-10 lead in the second set and would take a 15-14 lead into the media timeout. Trailing 21-19 coming out of a timeout, the Matadors put together a 5-3 run that tied the score at 24-24. Phillips then cashed in a pair of Constable assists on consecutive points to seal the 26-24 win.
S3 – PU 25, CSUN 22 - The Tigers would pull within 2-1 after hitting .684 to take the third set 25-22. The Tigers led by as many as three midway through the set, and still led 19-16 forcing a Matador timeout. CSUN would trim the deficit to two on a pair of occasions, the last at 21-19, when Princeton claimed four of the final seven points to take a 25-22 win.
S4 – CSUN 25, PU 20 - The Matadors raced out to a 6-0 lead in the final set and would never trail in the set. A Constable ace extended the CSUN lead to 10-3 before a Tiger attack error opened up a 14-6 Matador lead. CSUN led by as many as nine at 20-11 before the visitors rallied to cut the lead down to four at 22-18. But the Matadors answered by outscoring Princeton 3-2 over the final five points to end the match.
HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"I thought we were a little slow out of the gate. Some of the guys have been sick so we haven't been able to train much this week but I thought we did a good job of finding our rhythm as the game went on. We're still working to figure out how we can stop an opposite but moments like that help us improve as a team."
UP NEXT
CSUN returns to Big West play on Friday, completing the season series with top-ranked Long Beach State in the Walter Pyramid at 7 p.m.
#GoMatadors
CSUN, which finished 5-1 on its season-long homestand, is now 9-1 over its last 10 matches to improve to 14-3 on the season.
Phillips finished with a team-high 17 kills, hitting .306 on 36 swings to go with four digs and a pair of blocks. Delibosov, who ranks second in the nation in hitting, added a season-high 15 kills on .684 hitting along with three blocks and one ace. Freshman Joao Favarim also set a season-high with nine kills, hitting .750 on 12 errorless swings.
Senior setter Donovan Constable continued his impressive all-around play with 47 assists, four kills, three digs, and two aces while leading the CSUN hitters to a .355 clip.
S1 - CSUN 29, PU 27 – In a set that featured 21 total ties, CSUN led 9-5 early on following a Delibosov ace. A co-block by Favarim and Phillips kept the Matador lead at three (12-9) when the visitors rallied back to take a 13-12 lead. After a Princeton service error pulled CSUN, the teams traded sideouts until 23-23 when the Tigers had four swings at the set. The Matadors would save four set points and would cash in a Tigers' hitting error and a Princeton service error which sent CSUN to the 29-27 win.
CSUN fights off four set points and beats Princeton in a marathon opening set, 29-27.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/F00xnb433g
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) March 13, 2025
S2 - CSUN 26, PU 24 – Princeton held an early 12-10 lead in the second set and would take a 15-14 lead into the media timeout. Trailing 21-19 coming out of a timeout, the Matadors put together a 5-3 run that tied the score at 24-24. Phillips then cashed in a pair of Constable assists on consecutive points to seal the 26-24 win.
Trailed 24-22 then rattled off four straight points to win the second set. ????#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/pLwKNDoOJJ
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) March 13, 2025
S3 – PU 25, CSUN 22 - The Tigers would pull within 2-1 after hitting .684 to take the third set 25-22. The Tigers led by as many as three midway through the set, and still led 19-16 forcing a Matador timeout. CSUN would trim the deficit to two on a pair of occasions, the last at 21-19, when Princeton claimed four of the final seven points to take a 25-22 win.
S4 – CSUN 25, PU 20 - The Matadors raced out to a 6-0 lead in the final set and would never trail in the set. A Constable ace extended the CSUN lead to 10-3 before a Tiger attack error opened up a 14-6 Matador lead. CSUN led by as many as nine at 20-11 before the visitors rallied to cut the lead down to four at 22-18. But the Matadors answered by outscoring Princeton 3-2 over the final five points to end the match.
Stilian for the WIN!
— CSUN Men's Volleyball (@CSUNMensVB) March 13, 2025
CSUN takes set four 25-20 and defeats Princeton 3-1.#GoMatadors pic.twitter.com/sP86zSGxbW
HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"I thought we were a little slow out of the gate. Some of the guys have been sick so we haven't been able to train much this week but I thought we did a good job of finding our rhythm as the game went on. We're still working to figure out how we can stop an opposite but moments like that help us improve as a team."
UP NEXT
CSUN returns to Big West play on Friday, completing the season series with top-ranked Long Beach State in the Walter Pyramid at 7 p.m.
#GoMatadors
Team Stats
PU
CSUN
Kills
54
54
Errors
22
16
Attempts
101
107
Hitting %
.317
.355
Points
64.0
63.0
Assists
52
51
Aces
4
3
Blocks
6
6
Game Leaders
Kills
17
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
15
Aces
1
Blocks
3
Kills
9
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
7
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Players Mentioned
S
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's VolleyballMB
/ Men's VolleyballOPP
/ Men's VolleyballCalHOPE Award Nathan Merren
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