California State University Northridge Athletics
California State University at Northridge
11-5,0-1Big West
Princeton
4-8,0-3EIVA
Phillips Propels No. 17 CSUN to 3-1 Win Over Visiting Princeton
3/11/2026 8:36:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Junior Jalen Phillips led all hitters with 15 kills, and CSUN hit nearly .300 as the 17th-ranked Matadors defeated Princeton 3-1 (25-19, 21-25, 25-19, 25-21) in a non-conference match on Wednesday night at Premier America Credit Union Arena.
CSUN (11-5) finished with 55 kills and a .294 hitting percentage for the match, bouncing back after dropping the second set to win for the fourth time in its last five matches. The loss drops Princeton to 4-8 on the season.
Phillips led the Matadors with 15 kills on 32 swings while hitting .344. He also added nine digs, six blocks, and one ace in a solid all-around match. Hank Kaufman (.172) and Jordan Lucas (.200) each had 11 kills, while Shane Nhem chipped in eight kills (.333), and Grayson Albers chipped in seven kills while hitting .636 on 11 swings.
Setter Owen Douphner directed the offense with 42 assists, while also matching his career-high with five blocks. The Matadors would out-hit Princeton .294 to .182 in the win. Libero Chris Karnezis scooped up a match-high 12 digs, coming within one of his career best.
After splitting the first two sets, CSUN seized control in the third, hitting .609 with 16 kills and just two errors. The Matadors carried that momentum into the fourth set, building a 10-4 lead and never trailing down the stretch.
The Matadors were strong at the net throughout, totaling 12.5 team blocks, and sided out at an 84% clip in both the first and third sets.
Ryan Vena and Ambrose Engling led Princeton with 13 and 12 kills, respectively.
HEAD COACH THEO EDWARDS SAID
"It was a good match. We're recovering from the loss at UCSD last week, and coming into this match, we talked about some of the things we wanted to do differently. I thought the team did a great job, Jalen (Phillips) had a really nice match and Chris (Karnezis) had 12 digs, both guys were phenomenal. We also had some consistent middle pressure with both Grayson (Albers) and Shane (Nhem).
"Looking ahead to Friday, we're looking forward to matching up with UCSD again, I thought they took it to us last time at their place so we're excited to get back in the gym on Friday."
UP NEXT
CSUN continues its four-match homestand on Friday, returning to Big West play against No. 12 UC San Diego at 6 p.m.
#GoMatadors
