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Princeton University Athletics
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Volleyball Heads To New York With Ivy League Title Aspirations Still Alive
November 12, 2015 | Women's Volleyball
There are 10 different scenarios that could play out this weekend, and each would have a separate impact on the Ivy League champion in women's volleyball.
That alone is remarkable.
The fact that Princeton, once 0-3 in the Ivy League and three matches out of first place at the midway point in the season, is involved in all 10 is incredible, and it speaks to the resilience of a gritty squad that never stopped competing, no matter what the standings said.
| Schedule | Princeton at Cornell, Fri, 7 pm • Princeton at Columbia, Sat, 5 pm |
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Live Video l Live Stats: Cornell l Columbia |
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| Rosters | Princeton l Columbia l Cornell |
| Schedules | Princeton l Columbia l Cornell |
| Statistics | Princeton l Columbia l Cornell |
| Last Weekend | Princeton 3, Yale 1 l Princeton 3, Brown 0 |
| Ivy League | Standings • Weekly Release • Statistics |
The Tigers (13-8, 8-4 Ivy) enter the weekend one match out of first place in the Ivy standings with two to go. They will make their annual Empire State trip, starting Friday night in Cornell (7 pm, ILDN) and concluding Saturday night in Columbia (5 pm, ILDN).
Regardless of Princeton's results, Harvard (13-9, 9-3 Ivy) will clinch the Ivy title and the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament with a road sweep at five-time reigning Ivy League champion Yale and Brown. The Bulldogs are still alive in the race, as is Harvard travel partner Dartmouth — we'll go through all the scenarios at the bottom of this release.
None of those scenarios will matter much if the Tigers don't handle their own business. After four straight home victories, they'll need to take their winning ways on the road, which has proven to be a challenge for almost everybody in the Ivy League.
In Cornell's last three home matches, it has a win over Brown and 3-2 losses to both Harvard and Yale, each of whom shared the Ivy League title last year and remain in the race now. Columbia is 3-2 at home in league play this year, including wins over both Harvard and Yale, and both of its losses are by 3-2 scores.
In other words, nothing will come easy to Princeton this weekend.
But there was nothing easy about digging out of an 0-3 hole, so why start now?
Princeton has been led by dominant performances over the last three weekends by Kendall Peterkin (the Oct. 27 and Nov. 10 Ivy League Player of the Week) and Cara Mattaliano (the Nov. 3 Ivy League Player of the Week). In Ivy League matches only, the duo is tied for second in the league in kills (3.64 per set); Mattaliano also ranks in the Top 10 in digs, while Peterkin has averaged just under .75 blocks per set.
While the play of returners like Brittany Ptak and Kelly Matthews has also been strong, the recent performances from the freshman class have been crucial in this comeback hunt. Brittany Smith had one of her best efforts in a 3-2 road win at Brown, while middle Nnenna Ibe had eight kills and nine blocks last weekend in the Tigers' first win over Yale since 2011.
Two-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week Claire Nussbaum is averaging nearly 8.5 assists per set in league play, although that total shot up over the last three weekends. The offense has the second-highest hitting percentage in the Ivy League through conference play, though it will be tested throughout the weekend. Columbia has been especially strong defensively this season, as it ranks second in the league in both blocks and digs.
Courtesy of the Ivy League, here are all 10 possible scenarios this weekend:
1. Harvard wins two, Harvard clinches championship.
2. Harvard wins zero matches, Princeton wins two, Dartmouth wins one = Princeton clinches championship.
3. Harvard wins zero matches, Princeton wins one, Dartmouth wins two = Dartmouth clinches championship.
4. Yale wins two, Princeton wins one, Dartmouth wins one, Harvard wins zero matches = four team playoff. (Seeding not available until matches have concluded.)
5. Yale wins two, Princeton or Dartmouth only wins one, Harvard wins zero matches = three team playoff (Seeding not available until matches have concluded)
6. Harvard wins one, Princeton wins two, Dartmouth wins two = three team playoff (Harvard top seed due to best overall game record against teams involved)
7. Harvard wins one, only one of Princeton or Dartmouth wins two = two team playoff (Harvard host against either team due to best overall game record against teams involved)
8. Harvard wins zero matches, Princeton wins one, Dartmouth wins one = three team playoff (Harvard top seed due to best overall game record against teams involved)
9. Harvard wins zero matches, only Princeton or Dartmouth wins one = two team playoff (Harvard hosts against either team due to better overall game record against both teams).
10. Harvard wins zero matches, Princeton wins two, Dartmouth wins two = Princeton vs. Dartmouth playoff (Princeton hosts due to second tie breaker which is game record against next team in standings, Harvard.)