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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Seton Hall
Players Mentioned
Gritty Effort Falls Short For Volleyball; Ivy Schedule Opens Friday
September 21, 2011 | Women's Volleyball
The Princeton women's volleyball team may not have won its final match before the 2011 Ivy League season, but it showed the kind of fight and potential that could get the Tigers right back into the Ivy title race. Princeton dropped three tightly contested sets to a talented Seton Hall squad during Tuesday night's 3-0 loss at Dillon Gym.
Despite recording more kills and digs, and hitting at a higher percentage, Princeton fell victim to several Seton Hall pushes and service miscues in a 27-25, 26-24, 25-23 loss in its 2011 home opener. The Pirates had a 12-1 edge in service aces, and in three sets decided by two points apiece, those free points came back to haunt Princeton.
"I'm happy with the effort we showed tonight," said head coach Sabrina King, who made her home debut as head coach. "We just gave up too many runs to Seton Hall tonight. Overall, I'm really happy with our hitting and the way we came back."
Princeton got 14 kills and eight digs from All-Ivy junior Lydia Rudnick, whose return to the lineup has bolstered the Tigers' offense. Fellow junior Jennifer Palmquist added 10 kills and three blocks from the right side, while senior All-Ivy middle Cathryn Quinn added nine kills and a team-best five blocks.
The freshman duo of Sarah Hanna and Ginny Willis shined in their first home match. Hanna finished second on the team with 11 kills, while Willis paced the offense with 39 assists. Senior libero Hillary Ford added 14 digs, while Chelsea Parker added seven digs and four assists.
Princeton found itself in deep holes in each of the three sets, but it battled back in each. Down 19-14 in the opener, the Tigers went on a 7-2 run to even the set at 21. Kills by Quinn and Rudnick gave Princeton a set ball at 25-24, but Seton Hall ran off three straight to take a 1-0 lead.
The Pirates led 16-9 and 19-15 in the second set, but Rudnick served the Tigers to a 5-0 run that gave Princeton a 20-19 lead. The two teams traded points until Princeton again served up 24-23, but Seton Hall answered with another 3-0 run. The Pirates seemed in total control of the third, leading 18-9 and 22-15, but Princeton inspired its crowd with one more push. Willis served a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to one point, and then a pair of Seton Hall errors evened the score at 23. The Pirates settled and took the next two points for their eighth win of the season.
Princeton now heads into Ivy League play with a 7-5 record. The Tigers will welcome Penn Friday night at 7 p.m. The Quakers are the defending Ivy League champion, though the local rivals played two memorable matches last season. Princeton opened the league schedule by fighting back from a 2-0 hole for a 3-2 win at The Palestra. Penn avenged the loss by rallying from match ball down in the finale and clinching the Ivy title with a 3-2 win at Dillon Gym.