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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Volleyball Looks To Ignite Second Season Saturday In Home Ivy Opener
October 01, 2009 | Women's Volleyball
In the preseason, new women's volleyball coach Jolie Ward said she was more concerned with her team finding identity and chemistry than she was with wins during September's pre-league schedule. While Ward would have liked a few more victories, she feels good about the progress and is ready to start her first Ivy League championship race.
Princeton, which started its season with a new head coach and four new starters, went 2-9 in the non-league portion of the schedule but won both of its two home games. The third home match of the season comes Saturday at 7 p.m., when the Tigers will host Penn in the Ivy League opener for both teams. The Quakers come into the weekend with nine wins, the second most of any team in the league (behind Yale).
The Tigers have been led by senior co-captain Sheena Donohue, a two-time All-Ivy selection, who leads the team with 3.2 kills and 4.3 digs per set. Donohue has always been a dangerous hitter for the Tigers, but Ward believes she has grown more confident in her role as the leader in big spots. Donohue is joined on the outside by freshman Lydia Rudnick, who is averaging more than three kills per set and nearly three digs per set. Sophomore Cathryn Quinn, starting in her second year as a middle blocker, leads the team with a .257 attack percentage and is averaging 2.5 kills per set.
A victory for Princeton would go a long way in easing the frustrations of the first month. While the Tigers lost nine matches, four of them were in five sets and several others were one point away from being extended. The Princeton-Penn rivalry has grown into one of the best in the league, with both teams winning multiple Ivy League titles this decade, and both teams will look to start the season off on a positive note.
Princeton will wear pink with the traditional Orange and Black Saturday night in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During the weekend of Oct. 23-24, the team will be asking as many fans attending as possible to wear pink in support of Princeton's efforts to raise funds for Susan G Komen Foundation, as a DIG PINK weekend.