Women's Volleyball Prevails 3-1 at Harvard for Eighth-Straight Win

Saturday, October 1

Cambridge, Mass.

5:00 PM

Princeton University

11-2,3-0Ivy League

Harvard

2-9,1-2Ivy League

Princeton

Harvard

Photo by: Beverly Schaefer

Women's Volleyball Prevails 3-1 at Harvard for Eighth-Straight Win

October 01, 2022 | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Princeton University women's volleyball team made it eight-consecutive victories Saturday night inside the Malkin Athletic Center, prevailing over Harvard 3-1 (25-22, 25-18, 20-25, 25-22).

Princeton was led in kills by Avery Luoma who tied the match match-high 18 on a .371 hitting percentage, and in assists by Lindsey Kelly who had a match-high 46. Senior Cameron Dames finished with a team-high 15 digs, while sophomore Mariah Haislip had a team-high four blocks. Kelly and freshman Valerie Nutakor tied the match-high in service aces with four; Kelly's total tied her career-best, while Nutakor's was a new career-high.

A 4-0 run helped the Tigers race out to a 6-1 lead in the first set, but a 5-0 Harvard run saw the Crimson narrow the deficit to two at 10-8. Harvard then used a 4-0 run to tie it up, 14-14, but a senior Melina Mahood kill followed by a Crimson attacking error gave the Tigers a 16-14 advantage. While Harvard managed to keep it close for the remainder of the set, Princeton earned set point at 24-20 following a kill by Mahood, then closed the set out with another Mahood kill to prevail, 25-22.

S1: Princeton 20, Harvard 18

Elite defensive play from Cameron Dames helps the Tigers take a two-point lead!#NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/dZ9dmF63qL
— Princeton Women's Volleyball (@PrincetonWVB) October 1, 2022

Princeton used an early 4-0 run led off by a freshman Lucia Scalamandre kill to take a 5-2 lead in the second set. Harvard were able to tie it up at 10-10 and then take the lead at 13-12, but another Scalamandre kill sparked a second 4-0 run, that put Princeton ahead, 20-15. Led off by a Nutakor service ace, the Tigers closed the set out on a 3-0 run, prevailing 25-18.

The third set saw Princeton use an early 4-0 run, led off by a Scalamandre kill, to jump ahead 7-2. The Crimson were able to narrow the deficit to one at 9-8, then battle back to take a 16-14 lead thanks to a 4-0 run of their own. A kill by Haislip followed by back-to-back Mahood kills put Princeton back in front, 17-16. Shortly after, Harvard used a 3-0 run to jump ahead, 21-18, then then would ultimately take the set, 25-20.

A service ace by Kelly sparked a 4-0 run of which the Tigers would open the fourth set with. With Princeton up 7-4, a Nutakor kill led off another 4-0 run, which extended the Tigers' advantage to seven at 11-4. The set descended into a back-and-forth battle, with the Crimson calling a timeout after Princeton took a 22-21 lead. Out of the time, a pair of Harvard attacking errors and a Luoma kill on match point set the Tigers take the fourth set, 25-22, and the match, 3-1.

MATCH POINT.

Avery Luoma puts down her match-high 18th kill as the Tigers defeat Harvard 25-22 in the fourth set, and 3-1 in the match for their eighth-straight win!#NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/ZhChmC945w
— Princeton Women's Volleyball (@PrincetonWVB) October 1, 2022