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Princeton University Athletics
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Ivy Volleyball Season Opens Saturday With Showdown Of Streaking Penn, Princeton
September 28, 2007 | Women's Volleyball
The Princeton women's volleyball team has won five in a row, including three impressive wins at the Villanova Tournament. Penn has won six of its last eight, including a road sweep of its own against Villanova. One of those teams will turn that momentum into a positive first step in the Ivy League race when the Quakers and Tigers meet for a 7 p.m. showdown Saturday night at Dillon Gym.
The Tigers, led by junior All-Ivy standouts Parker Henritze and Lindsey Ensign, won their final three matches of the Villanova Tournament, including a dramatic 3-2 win over the host Wildcats. They swept both Lafayette and LaSalle over the last two weeks in a pair of road matches. Ensign came into the week leading the Ivy League in both kills (4.17) and attack percentage (.480), while Henritze ranks third in kills (3.91) and first in service aces (0.80). Junior setter Bailey Robinson, now in her second year of leading the Princeton offense, ranks first in the league with 13.09 assists per game.
Princeton has won three straight matches over Penn, but the Quakers have been one of the top powers in the Ivy League this decade. The Quakers have gotten balanced hitting this season, with Julia Swanson and Laura Black leading the way with more than 3.0 kills per game. Linda Zhang and Megan Tryon are both averaging more than eight assists per game, and Natalie Drucker is averaging more than 1.2 blocks per game.
Both teams will play their next two Ivy League weekends at home, so either or both could get off to a very strong start in league play. Step one will be determined Saturday night. Princeton will finish both its weekend and its non-league schedule Sunday at 2 p.m. when it hosts Division III power Juniata. The Eagles are traditionally one of the national title contenders in Division III and always provide a stiff test for the Tigers. Last year, in a battle of unbeatens, Princeton defeated Juniata 3-0.
GoPrincetonTigers.com will have full recaps and box scores following both matches this weekend.