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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia
Players Mentioned
Marathon Match Results In First Ivy Loss For Volleyball Team
October 22, 2010 | Women's Volleyball
The Princeton women's volleyball team has been playing with fire throughout the Ivy League season, and it got singed for the first time Friday night. Despite another incredible night from sophomore Lydia Rudnick, who recorded career bests in kills (34) and digs (25), Princeton dropped a 17-15 heartbreaker in the final set of a 3-2 loss.
As it has for the fifth time in six Ivy League matches, Princeton dropped the opening set. After a 25-15 loss, Princeton rallied back for 25-20 and 25-23 wins in the second and third sets. Columbia roused its home crowd with a 25-21 victory in the fourth and battled back from a 9-5 hole in the fifth to take a 14-12 lead. Princeton won the next three points to earn a match ball of its own, but Columbia got a kill from Megan Gaughn to even the score. Princeton wasn't able to side out, and the Lions scored on back-to-back kills to take the match.
Rudnick, the three-time reigning Ivy League Player of the Week, might have played her best match of the season. Besides her 34 kills, including five straight to put away the second set, she hit .333 for the match. Freshman outside Sydney Brombal added 12 kills and 18 digs, while junior libero Hillary Ford added 24 digs. Junior setter Michaela Venuti recorded 59 assists and added 21 digs.
Princeton had seven blocks during the match; six were assisted by junior middle Cathryn Quinn, while four were assisted by sophomore Jennifer Palmquist. Senior Liz MStravick added four kills and a block.
Princeton will return to the court Saturday at 5 p.m. when it takes on Cornell in Ithaca, N.Y. The Big Red fell 3-0 to Penn Friday night; Penn and Princeton are now tied for first in the Ivy League with matching 5-1 league records.