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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia
Players Mentioned
Volleyball Tops Columbia 3-1, Remains Lone Unbeaten In Ivy League Play
October 04, 2014 | Women's Volleyball
BOX SCORE l IVY LEAGUE STANDINGS
It's early.
But early or late, it's never bad to be at the top of the hill. Right now, Princeton is alone there.
The Princeton women's volleyball team survived a thrilling fourth set to hold off Columbia 3-1 and move to 3-0 in the Ivy League. That win, combined with Yale's 3-0 win at Dartmouth Saturday evening, leaves the Tigers as the lone unbeaten in league play through two weekends.
Sure, there are 11 matches left for every team, but nobody has ever argued with getting off to a quick start, and this Princeton team has accomplished that goal in Ivy play.
Junior Kendall Peterkin, a three-time Ivy League Player of the Week, led all players with with 24 kills, and she added 19 digs in a 20-25, 25-20, 25-10, 27-25 victory over the Lions. Peterkin, who ranks in the national Top 15 in points per set this season, missed her third 20-20 match of the season by one dig Friday evening.
While Peterkin was leading the Tigers in kills, senior Nicole Kincade and sophomore Cara Mattaliano capped off a highly efficient weekend of hitting in the Tigers' first home matches of the season. Mattaliano had 15 kills and only one error (.341), while Kincade had 12 kills with only one error (.407). Mattaliano had 10 digs, while Kincade had three blocks.
Junior Sarah Daschbach recorded her sixth match of the season with at least 20 digs; she led the Tigers with 23, while freshman Kelly Matthews completed her first home weekend with 14 digs, three kills, three assists and three service aces.
Junior Lauren Miller paced the offense again with 50 assists, and she helped Princeton navigate a tough fourth set when Columbia pushed to remain unbeaten in league play. The Lions led 22-21, but Princeton gained the lead on a Mattaliano kill and a hitting error. Princeton would have three match balls, and Peterkin converted on the final one to clinch the win.
Princeton will remain home next weekend and will face Brown (Friday, 7) and reigning Ivy League champion Yale (Saturday, 5). The Bulldogs lost their first Ivy match of the season Friday night in a five-set thriller at Harvard.