Princeton Caps Classic Weekend With Exciting 3-2 Victory Over Host Hoyas

Saturday, September 10

Washington, D.C.

9:00 AM

Princeton University

3-3

Georgetown

2-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Princeton	23	26	25	12	15	3
Georgetown	25	24	19	25	13	2

Cara Mattaliano recorded 18 kills, including the match winner, and 19 digs during a 3-2 win over Georgetown.

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

Princeton Caps Classic Weekend With Exciting 3-2 Victory Over Host Hoyas

September 10, 2016 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Less than 18 hours after watching a fifth-set lead slip away in an upset bid against Maryland, the Princeton women's volleyball team was not about to leave the nation's capital with a second straight heartbreaker.

Despite trailing 10-9 in the fifth set, the reigning Ivy League champion Princeton Tigers (3-3) scored six of the final nine points to clinch a 23-25, 26-24, 25-19, 12-25, 15-13 victory in their final match of the Georgetown Classic. Senior Cara Mattaliano, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year, closed the match with her season-best 18th kill to finish the thrilling victory.

Mattaliano recorded a double-double (18 kills, 19 digs), while freshman Maggie O'Connell added 13 kills, three blocks and hit .312 for the match. The middle duo of Nnenna Ibe and Brittany Ptak both added 10 kills, while sophomore Brooke Hershberger added nine kills in an important performance off the bench. Head coach Sabrina King was able to maximize both of her setters; freshman Jessica Harris recorded a career-best 31 assists, while All-Ivy sophomore Claire Nussbaum added 26.

Junior Maddie Huber had a standout defensive performance from the back row; she had a career-best 21 digs, while classmate Kelly Matthews added 11 digs.

Trailing 10-9 in the final set, Princeton got two kills from Ptak and a hitting error to open a 12-10 lead. After a Georgetown sideout, Hershberger put one away, and Ptak followed after another sideout to give the Tigers two match balls. Georgetown fought the first one off, but Mattaliano finished the match on the second attempt.

Following trips to San Francisco and Washington, DC, Princeton will take the much shorter trip up Route One to compete in the Rutgers Tournament this coming week. The Tigers will open Thursday night with a showdown against Seattle.