Volleyball Survives Harvard Thriller, Maintains Two-Match Lead Over Yale In Ivy Standings

Saturday, October 29

Cambridge, MA

5:00 PM

Princeton University

16-3, 10-0,Ivy

Harvard

6-13, 4-6Ivy

Princeton

Harvard

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

Volleyball Survives Harvard Thriller, Maintains Two-Match Lead Over Yale In Ivy Standings

October 29, 2016 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

After 26 consecutive sets won, it would seem fair to wonder how the Princeton women's volleyball team would handle its first test in more than a month.

The answer? The Tigers would handle it just fine.

In a showdown of the reigning Ivy League co-champions, Princeton knocked off Harvard 25-16, 23-25, 25-22, 23-25, 15-10 in the Tigers' first five-set match since Sept. 24. The win keeps Princeton two matches ahead of Yale in the Ivy League race with four to play, and it officially eliminated the Crimson from title contention. In fact, only three teams are alive in the race, and Columbia needs an 0-4 Tiger finish to have any hopes in the race.

It was as tough a battle as Tiger head coach Sabrina King expected, especially inside of the Malkin Center, where Harvard topped Princeton in an NCAA play-in match last November. After a lopsided opening-set win for Princeton, the next three sets were tense and tight, and none were enough to decide an outcome. The fifth set was close most of the way, especially when the Tigers were clinging to a 10-9 lead; following a Harvard service error, Princeton got a kill from Maggie O'Connell (who had 24 kills and hit .475 in the best match of her young career) to open a three-point lead.

Classmate Devon Peterkin followed with a kill and an assisted block to set up match ball, and Harvard served one out to give Princeton its 14th straight win of the season.

Reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Cara Mattaliano had 15 kills and 21 digs, while Peterkin had a double-double of her own with 14 kills and 11 digs. Jessie Harris had a career-high 61 assists, while Brittany Ptak added 11 kills and seven blocks.

Princeton will continue its road trip next weekend when it competes at both Brown and Yale.