Guest TB: Thank You Dillon Gym

TigerBlog got an email from Sam Shweisky, the men's volleyball coach, raving about a blog entry written by one his recently graduated seniors, Corry Short.

As soon as he read it, TB wanted to share it here, and so he is, with Corry's permission.

Corry Short, by the way, is from Lighthouse Point, Fla. He and his Princeton teammates won the EIVB regular-season and tournament championships and then won their opening match in the NCAA tournament before falling in five sets to No. 3 Pepperdine.

Looking back on my four years at this amazing university, I have gained knowledge in and outside the classroom, created friendships that will last a lifetime, and made memories that I will absolutely never forget. Princeton’s campus offers a wide range of opportunities for students to connect with each other. Whether it’s at an eating club, a dorm common room or a restaurant on Nassau, all Princeton students have ample opportunity to create experiences and memories on campus.

Consequently, graduates from Princeton will reminisce upon their time spent here and have fond memories of one or two places in particular.

The first place I’ll think about is Dillon Gym.

Herbert Lowell Dillon Gymnasium, Princeton University

Dillon Gym lies at the heart of Princeton’s campus; from IM sports, to Stephens Fitness Center, to career fairs, hundreds flow in and out of its doors every day. It functions as a welcoming escape from the day-to-day rigors that Princeton students face. However, as a varsity athlete, my sentiment towards the building is slightly different. Dillon is the home of the men’s and women’s volleyball teams at Princeton, which has led me to spend countless hours in its facilities. I’ve endured 7:00am practices, film sessions, team meetings, and enough physical therapy for two lifetimes within its walls. But before I had the opportunity to do any of these things, I was just an undersized outside hitter from South Florida.
The first time I visited campus as a recruit was in October of 2014. Women’s season was in full swing, and the first time I saw a match played in Dillon was Princeton vs. Cornell. The Tigers crushed the Big Red 3-0. It was awesome seeing them compete on the court, and that night taught me a lot about the special connection between the men’s and women’s teams. For those who don’t know, the men’s team works all of the women’s home matches and vice versa. From ball rolling to scoreboard operation to social media, the out-of-season team is right there cheering on the in-season team consistently. This is one of the many bonds that keeps the two teams so close and makes this program so unique.
I visited a second time in April of 2015, much to the dismay of the the team who was required to take care of one extra recruit that weekend, and saw the men’s team in action for the first time. It was Penn State weekend – if you’ve followed the Princeton Men’s Volleyball team at all in the past decade, you know that this is always the biggest home game of the year. The bleachers are rearranged to manage the 1,500+ that are consistently in attendance, and the atmosphere is electric. Semi-drunken students show up by the hundreds to cheer on the Tigers and heckle the Nittany Lions on an annual basis – and they never disappoint.
The Tigers came out in full force, but unfortunately fell to Penn State 3-1. Although it wasn’t the outcome that I and everyone else in the stands hoped for, it made me realize a couple of things. The first is how fervently the student body and community of this university supports its athletic teams. It also gave me a glimpse of how this team fights; the energy and spirit that the players on the court and bench had throughout the entirety of the match was something I had never witnessed before. I came to understand that these traits are PrincetonVolley staples, and I was incredibly excited for it to finally be my turn.

2014 team celebrating after beating Penn State 3-2 in Dillon Gym. Photo: Beverly Schaefer Photography.

The summer before I arrived on campus was a hectic one for me to say the least. It was one of the most volleyball-intensive summers of my life, epitomized by leaving Florida hours after my high school graduation for a volleyball tournament. After most of my volleyball for the summer was done, my family moved from my home of 7 years, Fort Lauderdale, up to the New Jersey where my Dad had already been working for a year and a half. I’m still extremely grateful for the sacrifice that they made by allowing me to finish out my high school career in Florida (thanks again, Mom and Dad!). Our home base is the Jersey Shore now, and being so close to home has definitely had its benefits.
The first opportunity my family’s close proximity to campus provided me was the chance to attend my first of many Princeton Volleyball summer camps. It was the first time that I learned how unrelenting Dillon’s lack of air conditioning was; playing for hours in that hotbox gave me a lot more respect for the women’s team who has preseason two-a-days during the hottest months of the year. Camp is brutal – both as a player and coach – but is always a ton of fun. I’ve made so many great friends at PrincetonVolley summer camps and will always look fondly upon those memories.

September rolled around, and I was thrown into a whirlwind when I arrived on campus in the fall. From academics to making friends to navigating campus, I felt like I couldn’t find stability in a single aspect of my new life – until volleyball season started. We had early morning practices and lifts everyday in the fall, and I tried to be the first one there everyday. I wanted to do pay my freshman dues by setting up the nets, getting the ball carts out and mopping the floor, hoping that I could earn the respect of my upperclassmen and coaches and establish a reputation of being a hard worker. Grinding with my teammates in Dillon Gym every morning, though taxing both mentally and physically, provided me with that stability I was seeking.
Our season my freshman year ultimately did not turn out so great. We had a poor record, largely due to the loss of the 2015 class, which included PrincetonVolley legends such as Cody Kessel, Will Siroky and Tony Ensbury, and failed to make the playoffs. Although the season was unsuccessful, it sparked a fire that was much needed and strongly desired by the group that would be returning in 2016. At the start of my sophomore year, we saw the potential that the new group had. With a nationally ranked recruiting class now onboard, we had the physicality and talent to disrupt the EIVA.
Sophomore year was a series of ups and downs for the team. Acclimating the new group of freshmen to Princeton Volleyball and creating a new core of leadership was challenging, but the team took steps in the right direction. We pushed Ball State to 5 in the Hawaii Outrigger Invitational, split matches with Grand Canyon on the road, and ended up sealing our spot in the playoffs with some big wins towards the end of the season over George Mason and Harvard. The season ended at Penn State where we were swept in three close sets. However, I think this was an inflection point for our team. We knew that we had what we needed to be contenders in the conference and on the national stage, but it was going to take some work. We knew that if we wanted to do great things, we would have to work hard over the summer and revisit the drawing board at the start of my junior year.

2017-2018 team outside the Galen Center before match against USC.

Junior year turned out to be an absolutely chaotic season. We took down #8 Stanford in the first tournament of the season in Santa Barbara, giving us a hopeful outlook for the remainder of the year. Little did we know that we were going to have one of the worst starts a Princeton team has had to a season – 1-11 to be exact. We couldn’t figure out what we were doing wrong. And on top of it all, I had torn my meniscus in mid-January upon return from our California trip and was out for about five weeks in recovery post-surgery.
When I returned to play, the team had improved and we were finally trending upwards. We turned things around at our Sacred Heart road game, and went 8-1 in our next nine games. During this winning streak, we took down #10 ranked Penn State at home in a five set thriller in front of the 1998 EIVA Championship team who was being honored that evening. It was one of my favorite games that I had as a Tiger (click here to relive that epic match: https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLjQPMbU5hNAVqPXs2qlWt7yjy3KYcPLmL&v=Iw0-1-CA9So).

2017-2018 team celebrating after a big point in victory over Penn State. Photo: Beverly Schaefer Photography.

Unfortunately, the following weekend I sustained another serious injury in the “Battle of the Garden State” at NJIT. I dislocated my left shoulder three times in the match and ended up tearing my labrum, which is still torn to this day. I was out for another month and change following the injury, but I was able to return in time for our road match against Penn State. The Princeton Band took a four hour road trip to follow us to this match; I don’t think the Band has ever traveled for a regular season PrincetonVolley match in program history – thank you guys for always being our biggest fans! For some reason, we came out that night with a vendetta and played some of the best ball we’d played all year. For the first time in program history, we beat Penn State on the road, and to top it off, we SWEPT them 25-23, 25-17, 25-17. It was an absolutely dominant performance, and I personally had some of the best serve receive and defense that I’d played my whole career. The Creamery was packed with Princeton Tigers that night…
We had some momentum moving into the playoffs and were scheduled to face George Mason, the top ranked team in the EIVA. We came out in dominant fashion and had one of the best blocking performances as a team that I’d ever seen. We upset them 3-1 and faced Harvard in the EIVA finals – the first ever all-Ivy finals. Unfortunately, the Crimson had a hell of a night, and we lost 1-3 in sets that all could’ve gone either way. It was a heartbreaker to say the least. We came into the 2019 season with this chip on our shoulder as the driving force towards my final season as a Tiger.
Senior year’s conference play started out with a bang. We went 13-1, winning huge matches on the road against NJIT, Penn State, George Mason and Harvard. It was like we couldn’t lose. So many sets and matches were decided by one or two points, and the ball just seemed to bounce in our favor all season long. Since we were the #1 seed in conference, we had the opportunity to host the EIVA Playoffs for the first time ever in Dillon Gym. We took down St. Francis in the opening round in a 3-0 sweep, giving us the last bit of momentum we needed before the EIVA Finals against – you guessed it – Penn State.

My final match in Dillon. It was incredibly emotional and ended up being the favorite game of volleyball I have played in my whole life. The match’s momentum ebbed and flowed in an endless cycle. We would have a two or three point service run, and they would respond with aggressive serving and great plays in transition. We split sets 2-2, and the EIVA Championship would be decided by a fifth set tiebreaker.
We went up 8-7 at the switch off of a stuff block from All-Americans Parker Dixon and George Huhmann, and the roar from the crowd was absolutely incredible when we changed sides. The entire gym was at the edge of their seats, and we came out with everything we had. Kendall Ratter gave us a transition kill, and Greg Luck brought the crowd to their feet with a HUGE solo stuff block out of the middle to put us up 10-7. Some chaotic rallies ensued, and Ratter again gives us another huge kill putting him at the service line…he then serves an ace to put us up 14-11. We now have match point of the EIVA Championship in Dillon Gym. At this point, rotated out and have tears in my eyes just looking at the stands and seeing family, friends and alumni all on their feet, filling the gym with the wholehearted love and support for this team. Penn State sides out and gets an ace, making the score 14-13.
Pass from Greg Luck, set from Joe Kelly, and kill by George Huhmann to win the match 15-13. The Princeton Tigers have won the EIVA Championship at home in Dillon Gym. To this day, I get chills every time I think of that night. It was the culmination of years of hard work and could not have been accomplished without each and every member of this special group.

Of all the time that I’ve spent within Dillon’s walls, the feeling I will miss the most is competing for Princeton University and Princeton Volleyball. It is an incredibly special feeling that only few will have the opportunity to experience. When you step onto that court ready to battle against your opponent across the net and hear Jenna Venturi belt out a beautiful national anthem, the deep roots of the program’s tradition and legacy are overwhelming – you can’t help but feel proud and grateful to wear Princeton across your chest.

We go on to beat Barton in the first round of the the NCAA tournament and push #3 in the nation Pepperdine to five sets in a nail-biter but fall short of the Final Four. And just like that, it’s over. A historic end to a volleyball career that I wouldn’t trade for the world.
During my four years playing in Dillon, I’ve gotten to know the place. I know the spots where the hardwood floor creaks from a sneaker’s step, I know where volleyballs like to hide when we’re doing our ball count at the end of practice, I know how many stairs lead from the gym floor to the Dillon Tower conference room (44) where we do our pre-match scouting meetings…I know what makes it tick. But during my four years here, I’ve come to learn who is responsible for its upkeep and operations.
The staff at Dillon Gym does an incredible job of making it feel like a second home to all who enter. Dan Bennett oversees the facility’s operations and has been a huge supporter of the Princeton Volleyball program. Thank you, Dan, for consistently being one of this team’s unsung heroes. Elysee Nicolas a.k.a Nicki a.k.a. the grandfather of PrincetonVolley has been a confidant, mentor and friend to every generation of athletes to go through this program. Every time you see him, he puts a smile on your face, and he is someone that has impacted my time in Dillon significantly. Thanks for everything, Nick. I’m gonna miss you! To everyone else at Dillon that has helped me or the Princeton Volleyball teams in one way or another – namely, Mike Mix, Jenna Mayer, Mike Halbiger, and Matt Maul, among many others – thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for the volleyball teams and the greater Princeton community.

Nicki and I on a California team trip, and Dan Bennett and I at graduation.

I want to thank several people who have been integral to my success at Princeton and the success of Princeton Volleyball:

• First and foremost, I’d like to thank Coach Sam Shweisky for recruiting me to play at this incredible university. Years ago I promised you I’d put a number up on that banner before I graduated…well, we did it. You’ve done so much to develop me as a player and as a human being. Thank you for everything.
• To my teammates past and present, thank you for the laughs and the memories. You made my experience in this program what it was, and I am so grateful to have had you all in my life.
• Coach Pat Shawaryn, thank you for the incredible amount of value you’ve added to this program and for the many laughs on the bus and sidelines. I and the rest of the team truly hope that you remain core member of this program in the years to come. Looking forward to grabbing several more beers with you at reunions!
• To the WVB team, namely Alexa, Caroline, Claire, Nnenna, Smitty, and everyone that overlapped with me during my four years, thank you for making my PrincetonVolley experience so amazing. I will look back on our volleyvolley events as some of my favorite memories at Princeton.
• To PrincetonVolley alumni: you are an absolutely incredible group of people, and I am so happy to have met so many of you. Your support of this program is invaluable and there is no way to express how much gratitude we have for you. Thank you all for your constant love and support. I’m looking forward to meeting many more of you in the years to come as a fellow alum.
• To Lou: I love you man!! Thank you SO much for everything you do for this team. All the best to you and your family in the future.
• To the athletic medicine staff – namely, Johnny Furtado, Deirdre Chatlos and Sophia Gonzalez – thank you for dealing with my seemingly endless injuries, for getting me back on the court faster than I would have otherwise, and for making my countless time spent in the athletic training room so enjoyable.
• To assistant coaches of the program – Mike Vajo, Mike Adams, Pawel Kadlubowski and Steve Carlat – thank you for your contributions to of this team and unwavering support of this program.
• To my many strength coaches over the years – Keith, Dan, Phil, Sam – thank you for helping me and this team achieve success.
• To Sabrina King (and Abel & Lyla!), Tyler Hagstrom and the legend Glenn Nelson, thank you for welcoming me into the PrincetonVolley family with such love.
• To Allison Rich, Anthony Archbald, Mollie Marcoux Samaan and President Eisgruber, thank you all for enabling our team and Princeton Athletics to be so successful. Your support means the world to us.
• To the EIVA, its staff, and its coaches – namely, Jay Hosack, Danny Goncalves, Mark Pavlik, Colin McMillan, Mike Rumbaugh, and Brian Baise ’95 – it has been a pleasure competing against you and your respective teams over the years. All the best in the future…but Go Tigers!
• To Craig Sachson, our team’s former Sports Information Director, and the rest of the staff that helps make our matches run smoothly, thank you for all of the work that you’ve done with this team over the years, and best of luck in whatever your future holds in store.
• To Mike Thibault, thank you so much for all you do for our team. I can’t wait to hear about all the whiteboard debates that you and the team have throughout this upcoming year. All the best to you and your family. #TheEarthIsFlat
• To our many faculty fellows, especially Andrej Košmrlj, Kelly Noonan, Corina Tarnita, Shawn Maxam, Rob Pringle and Michael Mueller, that have helped Princeton MVB student-athletes over the years, thank you for all that you do and for your support of this team.
• To Mike Zarate, Ocean Bay Volleyball and Cardinal Gibbons High School, thank you for providing me with the knowledge and opportunities to pursue my dreams on and off the court.
• To the many people that I haven’t thanked, but have in some way contributed to the success of this team and program, we are so appreciative of your support.

And last, but certainly not least, I’d like to thank my #1 fans for all that they’ve done for me and this team. Mom, Dad, Michael, Mary Kate and Grannie, the JC Short family and the Young family, I love you all so much. I wouldn’t have made it to or through Princeton without you all.

The Short Family post semifinal win against SFU before winning EIVA Championship.

My memories of Princeton will be great, but my memories of Dillon Gym will be phenomenal. It’s been one hell of a ride – thanks for everything, Princeton.
– Corry G. Short ’19