Reigning Champion Princeton Opens Another Ivy Title Pursuit Friday Night In Home Showdown vs Penn

Friday, September 22

Princeton, N.J.

7:00 PM

Princeton University

Penn

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

Reigning Champion Princeton Opens Another Ivy Title Pursuit Friday Night In Home Showdown vs Penn

September 20, 2017 | Women's Volleyball

Two years ago, Princeton dug a deeper hole than any eventual champion in Ivy League history. Last year, Princeton put together a run of dominance — 26 straight sets at one point — that landed the Tigers back in the NCAA tournament.

Two seasons, two highly different routes to the same destination — the Ivy League championship.

Princeton (7-3) hopes it will take the first step on that same journey Friday night at 7 pm when it welcomes the Penn Quakers to Dillon Gym for the opening night of Ivy League play. Princeton students in attendance at Dillon Gym will receive free cheer gear (while supplies last); for those who can't attend the match, it will be streamed live on the Ivy League Network.

Schedule	Sept. 23, 2017 • 7 pm • Dillon Gym
Follow Live	Video: Ivy League Network l Live Stats
Twitter	@PUTigers l @PrincetonVolley
Princeton	Roster l Schedule l Statistics
Penn	Roster l Schedule l Statistics
Ivy League	Standings l Statistics l Schedule l Weekly Release
Next Week	Princeton at Brown, Sept. 29 (7 pm) l Princeton at Yale, Sept. 30 (5 pm)

Princeton returns five starters from the 2016 Ivy League championship team, including a trio of sophomore starters (Jessie Harris, Maggie O'Connell, and Devon Peterkin). Harris, in her second season as the starting setter, leads the Ivy League with 10.45 assists per set, while reigning Ivy Rookie of the Year O'Connell ranks second in the Ivies in both kills (3.53) and points (3.90). Ironically, she trails another member of the Princeton Class of 2020 in both; first-year starter Natasha Skov leads the Ivies with 3.55 kills and 4.05 points per set this season.

Peterkin doesn't qualify for any of the statistical categories at this point, but head coach Sabrina King was thrilled to see her on the court at all. After a preseason injury cost her the first seven matches of the season, the outside hitter made her debut in a pair of matches in Washington, D.C., last weekend.

Princeton has also gotten stellar play from its junior middles, Nnenna Ibe and Caroline Sklaver, both of whom have made all-tournament teams during the first three weeks of the year. Ibe was Princeton's representative on the American Volleyball Classic all-tournament team last weekend, when she played her best volleyball of the young season.

Penn (5-4) rides a two-match win streak into the season, and it has been led by Kendall Covington (the Ivy leader in hitting percentage) and Parker Jones (who ranks fourth in the league in total points). Princeton and Penn have met in the season opener over the last several years, and each of the last two have been major challenges. Two seasons ago, Penn helped put Princeton in an early hole with a win at Dillon Gym, while the Tigers needed a strong final set to escape the Palestra with a 3-2 win last season.