Zhang Comes Through To Top Cornell, Keep Princeton Unbeaten In Ivy League

Friday, April 10

Ithaca, NY

2:00 PM

Princeton University

Cornell University

Pearlie Zhang celebrates winning point against Cornell

Zhang Comes Through To Top Cornell, Keep Princeton Unbeaten In Ivy League

April 10, 2026 | Women's Tennis

Pearlie Zhang had just been broken while serving to give Princeton a win over Cornell, and with it the momentum had swung the way of the Big Red. Yes, Zhang was still up 5-3 in the set that would decide who would come out on top. Now, though, that path had gotten much dicier.

The first point of the next game changed everything back, and as it turned outcome was pretty much decided when it ended — not that it ended quickly.

Back and forth the ball flew over the net. Ten times. Twenty times. Thirty times. It wasn't until the 36^th shot of the point, a crosscourt winner from Zhang, that it finally ended. Did it take a minute, two minutes, 10 minutes, forever? However long it took, the remaining points combined were faster, as Zhang closed out the game, her match and the team match, giving Princeton a tough 4-3 win in Ithaca Friday afternoon.

The win improved Princeton to 4-0 in the Ivy League and set up a first-place showdown Sunday at 1 against Columbia, who defeated Penn 4-0 Friday afternoon to improve to 4-0 as well.

Cornell came into the match winless in the league, and Princeton already owned a 4-0 win in the ECAC tournament against the Big Red. This one would not be nearly as easy, as it stretched nearly four hours before Zhang ended it.

In fact, Princeton had to rally from way back to win the doubles point, something that would be huge later on. Alice Ferlito and Maren Urata came back from 4-1 down at No. 3 to win 7-5, and Eva Elbaz and Bella Chhiv came from 5- 2 down and survived two match points to also win 7-5.

Tsehay Driscoll was the first off the court in singles with a 6-3, 7-6 win at No. 6, making it 2-0, before Cornell won at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3, with a three-set win from Madeleine Jessup at No. 4 mixed in, making it 3-3 and leaving it up to Zhang, who had won her first set 7-5, lost her second 4-6 and then went up 5-2 in the third before the break and the epic point.

Princeton 4, Cornell 3
Singles
No. 1 Michelle Ryndin (C) def. Alice Ferlito 7-5, 7-5
No. 2 Victoria Zhao (C) def. Bella Chhiv 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
No. 3 Sage Loudon (C) def. Eva Elbaz 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
No. 4 Madeleine Jessup (P) def. Dylan Gelber 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
No. 5 Pearlie Zhang (P) vs. Andrea de los Rios 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
No. 6 Tsehay Driscoll (P) def. Tanya Fan 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)

Doubles
No. 1 Pearlie Zhang/Tsehay Driscoll (P) vs. Michelle Ryndin /Sage Loudon (C) 6-5 (DNF)
No. 2 Eva Elbaz/Bella Chhiv (P) def. Andrea de los Rios /Victoria Zhao 7-5
No. 3 Alice Ferlito/Maren Urata (P) def. Dylan Gelber/Emma Baker 7-5