Women's Volleyball Outlasts Harvard, 3-2

Saturday, October 2

Princeton, N.J.

5:00 PM

Princeton University

9-2,3-0Ivy League

Harvard

5-7,2-1Ivy League

Harvard

Princeton

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

October 02, 2021 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

PRINCETON, N.J. – The Princeton University women's volleyball team outlasted Harvard University in a thrilling five-set battle Saturday night inside Dillon Gymnasium, 3-2 (25-20, 24-26, 25-16, 19-25, 15-13).

The win was Princeton's eighth-consecutive, and saw the Tigers move to 3-0 in Ivy League play. Juniors Elena Montgomery and Melina Mahood tied for the team-high in kills with 15 each, while junior Lindsey Kelly led the match in kills with 51. Senior Grace Klepetka tied the match-high and her career-high in service aces with three, matching her total from Tuesday, November 22, 2019, against Yale. Senior Julia Schner led the match with a career-best 11 blocks, eclipsing her previous career-high of seven from Princeton's win over Penn on Friday, September 24.

The Crimson took a 4-1 lead early, but Princeton responded with a 6-0 run capped by a Schner kill. The Tigers took their first lead on a Montgomery kill at 8-7, but Harvard kept it close and tied it up at 13-13. Sparked by a kill by Montgomery, Princeton used a 4-0 run to surge ahead, 17-13. A Mahood kill gave Princeton set point at 24-16, and Princeton would go on to prevail in the first set, 25-20.

S1: The Hustle. The Block.

Following some incredible hustle by Cameron Dames, Olivia Schewe stops one at the net to give the Tigers a 10-7 advantage! pic.twitter.com/7yieE11LkO
— PrincetonVolley (@PrincetonVolley) October 2, 2021

Set two saw Harvard race out to a 7-0 advantage, but a 6-0 Princeton run that featured a pair of junior Avery Luoma kills saw the Tigers narrow the margin to 7-6. Up 12-9, Harvard went on a 3-0 run that was halted by a junior Olivia Schewe kill, then a Schner kill followed by a Crimson attacking error made it a 20-17 set as the Tigers showed resilience. Despite Princeton's late efforts, Harvard held on to win the set 26-24.

Led off by a Schner kill, the Tigers opened the third set with a 6-0 run. Princeton would soon after go on a 4-0 run and take a 10-1 lead. Sparked by a Luoma kill, the Tigers used a 3-0 run to take a 21-11 lead, and went on to comfortably prevail in the set, 25-16.

S3: A 6-0 Run!

Another Melina Mahood kill extends Princeton's run to 6-0 to open the third set! pic.twitter.com/aMX9Rs9XGZ
— PrincetonVolley (@PrincetonVolley) October 2, 2021

The fourth set started off as a back-and-forth battle, but back-to-back Mahood kills gave Princeton a 4-3 lead. Harvard went on to take a 12-8 advantage, which then saw Head Coach Sabrina King call timeout. The Tigers and Crimson continued to trade points, but Harvard would force a decisive fifth set after coming out on top, 25-19.

Led off by a Mahood kill, the Tigers used a 4-0 run take a 4-2 lead in the fifth set. Harvard then used a 5-0 run to take a 9-7 lead, and would later extend their lead to 12-8. Following a Princeton timeout, the Tigers went on a 6-0 run that featured three Schner kills to surge ahead, 14-12. Fittingly, it was Schner along with Luoma who produced a double block at match point as the Tigers won the set, 15-13, and the match 3-2.

Tigers Win!

Captain Clutch Julia Schner and Avery Luoma with the double block to put the Tigers over the line in the fifth set, 15-13, and the match 3-2! pic.twitter.com/2TeeoikbHs
— PrincetonVolley (@PrincetonVolley) October 2, 2021

Up Next
Princeton will take on Cornell University (4-6, 0-2) in Ithaca, New York, on Friday, October 8, at 7 p.m.