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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Volleyball Faces Final Tournament Test Before Ivy Play Begins
September 15, 2011 | Women's Volleyball
With three matches remaining until its home debut and four until Ivy League play begins, the Princeton women's volleyball team will be looking for more consistent play this weekend during the Lehigh/Lafayette Crosstown Tournament.
Princeton (5-3) opens play Friday at 3 p.m. against Hartford at Leeman-Turner Arena at Lehigh. Princeton will play twice more Saturday at Lehigh, beginning with a 10 a.m. match against the Mountain Hawks and concluding with a 12:30 match against LaSalle.
The Tigers are coming off a 1-2 weekend at the Rutgers Tournament, although the trio of matches ended on a high note. Led by the play of all-tournament selections Hillary Ford and Sarah Hanna, the Tigers topped their second Big East opponent of the season with a 3-1 win over Rutgers.
Princeton should be bolstered this weekend by the return of All-Ivy outside hitter Lydia Rudnick, who led the Ivies last year in kills. After missing the last four matches, including a 3-1 road win at St. John's, Rudnick is expected to return for a final tune-up before Ivy play.
In her absence, Princeton has been led by senior middle Cathryn Quinn, who leads the Ivy League with 3.91 kills per set. Quinn also leads the Ivy League with 1.32 blocks per set. Hanna is one of three Ivy freshmen in the top 10; she ranks ninth overall with 2.79 kills per set. Ford, who has gotten off to a brilliant start, ranks first in the Ivy League and in the Top 20 nationally with 5.31 digs per set.
Princeton will make its home debut next Tuesday night when it takes on Seton Hall at 7 p.m. Three nights later, the Tigers will open their Ivy League season against the defending Ivy champion Penn Quakers.