.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Brown
Players Mentioned
Volleyball Fights Off Comeback, Claims Third Straight Ivy Win 3-2 At Brown
October 17, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
Facing a potentially devastating road loss Friday night in Providence, the Princeton women's volleyball team came together and played one of its best sets of the season at the most opportune time. The Tigers won their third straight Ivy League match 3-2 at Brown and will now face the five-time champion Yale Bulldogs with serious momentum.
Princeton held a 2-0 lead with convincing 25-17 and 25-18 wins, but the Bears put forth their own run to even the match at 2-2. Whatever momentum Brown carried into that final set was doused quickly, as the Tigers scored four of the first five points to take control.
Freshman Brittany Smith, who had 11 kills and hit .476 during the match, opened the fifth with a kill. After a Brown service error, junior middle Brittany Ptak recorded both a kill and a block to open the 4-1 lead. Brown would get to within two points three times after that, but a block by junior Cara Mattaliano and a kill by sophomore Pauli King, who played her first match of the season, opened the lead to 8-4.
Brown followed with two straight hitting errors, and Princeton was able to ride that lead into its eighth win of the season. The victory also brings the Tigers back to the .500 mark in the Ivy League, which seemed a mighty goal after Princeton dropped its first three league matches.
Ptak recorded a career-best 17 kills and added four blocks, while senior Kendall Peterkin added 14 kills. Both Smith and Mattaliano had 11 kills, while Mattaliano added a career-best 27 digs in the win.
Freshman Claire Nussbaum continues to look more relaxed as one of Princeton's two setters; she led the team with 33 assists, while junior Lauren Miller added 20. Miller's biggest plays came late, as she had a pair of remarkable digs in the final points to keep Brown from attempting one final comeback attempt.
Princeton will try to go over the .500 mark in league play by doing something it hasn't done since its 2007 Ivy League championship season — win at Yale. The Bulldogs have won each of the last five Ivy League titles, and they remain one match ahead of Princeton after their 3-1 home win over Penn.
You can watch Saturday's match live on the Ivy League Digital Network.