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Friday, November 11
Princeton, N.J.
7:00 PM
Princeton University
vs
Cornell
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
OH/RS
/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
Photo by: Beverly Schaefer
Tigers Seek Two Victories, One Ivy League Volleyball Championship In Dillon Gym This Weekend
November 09, 2016 | Women's Volleyball
Seniors Cara Mattaliano, Lauren Miller, and Brittany Ptak knew that this weekend would be a special one when they began their final season in Orange and Black.
But it could be a uniquely historic one for this trio, and the rest of their Princeton teammates.
Princeton (17-4, 11-1 Ivy) will host Cornell (11-11, 5-7) Friday night at 7 pm, and then will host Columbia (13-9, 8-4) Saturday at 5 pm during its annual Senior Day celebration. One victory for the Tigers would assure them at least a share of the 2016 Ivy League title, the program's 16th overall and second in a row. If Princeton sweeps the New York duo, the Tigers would win the outright title and return to the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2007.
How historic would a sweep be for a program that leads the league with 15 titles already? Should Princeton win both, it would mark only the third time in program history that it could celebrate an outright Ivy League title inside the friendly confines of Dillon Gym, and it would be the first time in the double-round robin era; the other two times (1982, 1994) came at the conclusion of the now-defunct Ivy League tournament. It would also mark the first time Princeton won back-to-back Ivy League titles since 1999-2000, when current head coach Sabrina King '01 was a leading outside hitter for the Tigers.
The challenge will be a difficult one for Princeton, as it faces two teams in the top half of the Ivy standings. Cornell is currently tied for fourth, but it enters the match having won four of its last six outings. Columbia is alone in third place and stayed in the Ivy League title race until Saturday night, and the Lions are the only team currently out of league contention with a victory over either Princeton or Yale (a 3-2 home win over the Bulldogs that has given Princeton control of the race heading into the final weekend).
You can watch both matches on the Ivy League Digital Network; even better, you can head to Dillon Gym this weekend and try to assist the Tigers in a potentially historic weekend.
The Final Countdown
Princeton leads the Ivy League with an 11-1 record, while Yale is one match back with a 10-2 record. Any combination of one Princeton win or Yale loss (the Bulldogs are at Harvard and Dartmouth) would clinch a share of the Ivy title, while a combination of two would give the Tigers the outright title. Since moving to the double-round robin format, Princeton has won only one outright Ivy title (2007).
Senior Citizens
The Princeton Class of 2017 — Cara Mattaliano, Lauren Miller, and Brittany Ptak — have helped Princeton improve in victories each season. After a 10-win freshman year, Princeton won 14 in 2014 and 15 during its Ivy-championship 2015 season. Princeton enters the weekend with 17 wins, a total that included a 14-match win streak. Mattaliano, the 2015 Ivy League Player of the Year, ranks 11th on the all-time Princeton list with 1,063 career kills. Ptak is a two-time All-Ivy League middle with a career hitting percentage of .325, while Miller, a multi-year starter at setter, ranks fifth in career assists with 2,133.
Four Score
Freshman opposite Maggie O'Connell has won the Ivy League Rookie of the Week honor a league-best four times this season, including three times over the last four weeks. She is the reigning honoree after she hit .378 on the week—with 36 kills, eight digs and four blocks. O'Connell opened the weekend with a 21-kill effort in Princeton's 3-2 loss at Yale, and then she added 15 in a 3-0 sweep of Brown.
Fresh Faces
While Maggie O'Connell leads every other team in Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors, she isn't alone on the Princeton roster among 2016 honorees. Freshman outside hitter Devon Peterkin has won it twice, while classmate and setter Jessie Harris won it once. Princeton leads the rest of the league 7-3 in Rookie of the Week awards.
High Efficiency
Princeton leads the Ivy League and ranks xx with a .265 attack percentage. Three Tigers rank in the individual Top 5 in the category: O'Connell is second (.396), Ptak is fourth (.339), and sophomore middle Nnenna Ibe is fifth (.328).
But it could be a uniquely historic one for this trio, and the rest of their Princeton teammates.
Princeton (17-4, 11-1 Ivy) will host Cornell (11-11, 5-7) Friday night at 7 pm, and then will host Columbia (13-9, 8-4) Saturday at 5 pm during its annual Senior Day celebration. One victory for the Tigers would assure them at least a share of the 2016 Ivy League title, the program's 16th overall and second in a row. If Princeton sweeps the New York duo, the Tigers would win the outright title and return to the NCAA postseason for the first time since 2007.
How historic would a sweep be for a program that leads the league with 15 titles already? Should Princeton win both, it would mark only the third time in program history that it could celebrate an outright Ivy League title inside the friendly confines of Dillon Gym, and it would be the first time in the double-round robin era; the other two times (1982, 1994) came at the conclusion of the now-defunct Ivy League tournament. It would also mark the first time Princeton won back-to-back Ivy League titles since 1999-2000, when current head coach Sabrina King '01 was a leading outside hitter for the Tigers.
The challenge will be a difficult one for Princeton, as it faces two teams in the top half of the Ivy standings. Cornell is currently tied for fourth, but it enters the match having won four of its last six outings. Columbia is alone in third place and stayed in the Ivy League title race until Saturday night, and the Lions are the only team currently out of league contention with a victory over either Princeton or Yale (a 3-2 home win over the Bulldogs that has given Princeton control of the race heading into the final weekend).
You can watch both matches on the Ivy League Digital Network; even better, you can head to Dillon Gym this weekend and try to assist the Tigers in a potentially historic weekend.
| Schedule | Friday: Cornell at Princeton, 7 pm l Saturday: Columbia at Princeton, 5 pm |
| Follow Live | Video: Ivy League Digital Network l Live Stats: Cornell l Columbia |
| @PUTigers l @PrincetonVolley | |
| Princeton | Roster l Schedule l Statistics |
| Cornell | Roster l Schedule l Statistics |
| Columbia | Roster l Schedule l Statistics |
| Ivy League | Standings l Statistics l News |
The Final Countdown
Princeton leads the Ivy League with an 11-1 record, while Yale is one match back with a 10-2 record. Any combination of one Princeton win or Yale loss (the Bulldogs are at Harvard and Dartmouth) would clinch a share of the Ivy title, while a combination of two would give the Tigers the outright title. Since moving to the double-round robin format, Princeton has won only one outright Ivy title (2007).
Senior Citizens
The Princeton Class of 2017 — Cara Mattaliano, Lauren Miller, and Brittany Ptak — have helped Princeton improve in victories each season. After a 10-win freshman year, Princeton won 14 in 2014 and 15 during its Ivy-championship 2015 season. Princeton enters the weekend with 17 wins, a total that included a 14-match win streak. Mattaliano, the 2015 Ivy League Player of the Year, ranks 11th on the all-time Princeton list with 1,063 career kills. Ptak is a two-time All-Ivy League middle with a career hitting percentage of .325, while Miller, a multi-year starter at setter, ranks fifth in career assists with 2,133.
Four Score
Freshman opposite Maggie O'Connell has won the Ivy League Rookie of the Week honor a league-best four times this season, including three times over the last four weeks. She is the reigning honoree after she hit .378 on the week—with 36 kills, eight digs and four blocks. O'Connell opened the weekend with a 21-kill effort in Princeton's 3-2 loss at Yale, and then she added 15 in a 3-0 sweep of Brown.
Fresh Faces
While Maggie O'Connell leads every other team in Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors, she isn't alone on the Princeton roster among 2016 honorees. Freshman outside hitter Devon Peterkin has won it twice, while classmate and setter Jessie Harris won it once. Princeton leads the rest of the league 7-3 in Rookie of the Week awards.
High Efficiency
Princeton leads the Ivy League and ranks xx with a .265 attack percentage. Three Tigers rank in the individual Top 5 in the category: O'Connell is second (.396), Ptak is fourth (.339), and sophomore middle Nnenna Ibe is fifth (.328).
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