.png&width=24&type=webp)
Women's Volleyball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- sking@princeton.edu
- Phone:
- 609-258-3532
| QUICK FACTS ON SABRINA KING |
| • 2015, 2016 and 2019 Ivy League Head Coach of the Year |
| • led Princeton to 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 and 2024 Ivy titles — the first three-year run here since 1980-82 |
| • guided the Tigers (17-8, 10-2) to the 2019 Ivy title and an an NCAA Tournament appearance |
| • guided 2016 (13-1) and 2017 (10-4) Tigers to Ivy titles and NCAA tournament appearances |
| • guided Princeton to the 2015 Ivy title after 0-3 start; no Ivy team in any sport had ever done that |
| • coached five Ivy Players of the Year (Cara Mattaliano in 2015, 2016; Maggie O'Connell in 2017; Lindsey Kelly in 2022; Kamryn Chaney in 2024) |
| • 208-108 record as Princeton head coach |
| • coached 44 All-Ivy Players over 12 seasons, including 25 first-teamers, and 4 Player/Year |
| • spent seven years as assistant coach and won 2004, 2007 Ivy titles |
| • three-time All-Ivy League Player, including 1999 Ivy League Player of the Year |
| • won three Ivy League titles as a player (1997, 1999, 2000) |
| • ranks in the all-time Top 5 at Princeton in kills (1367), digs (1441) and aces (121) |
Before the 2015 season even began, Sabrina King was a legendary name in Princeton volleyball.
Since then, she has taken it to a whole new level — six Ivy League titles, three Ivy League Head Coach of the Year honors, three trips to the NCAA tournament, five Ivy League Players of the Year, and more.
Here's a quick look at this historic run for Princeton volleyball:
2024: The Tigers finished Ivy League play with a 12-2 record, earning a sharing of the Ivy League Championship, the program's third conference title in the past five seasons and its sixth in the past nine. Kamryn Chaney was honored as Ivy Player of the Year and Lucia Scalamandre, Sydney Draper and Jackie Onyechi joined Chaney among the Ivy League's all-conference honorees.
2023: Princeton finished second in Ivy League play with an 11-3 record, saw Sydney Draper earn the Ivy League Rookie of the Year award. Three Tigers collected All-Ivy honors, including Lucia Scalamandre who was also named AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention. For the second-straight season, Princeton defeated Big Ten opponent Rutgers in non-conference play.
2022: The Tigers shared the Ivy League title with Yale after going 13-1 in conference play, and swept the major postseason playing awards. Lindsey Kelly was named Ivy Player of the Year, Cameron Dames Defensive Player of the Year and Lucia Scalamandre Rookie of the Year. Additionally, five Tigers collected All-Ivy League honors and defeated Big Ten opponent Rutgers. The Tigers were also NCAA Statistical Champions in assist per set (13.80) and ranked second nationally in kills per set (14.74), while Lindsey Kelly was also the NCAA Statistical Champion in assists per set (12.10).
2019: After clinching a share of the Ivy League title with Yale, the Tigers hosted the Bulldogs in a playoff to determine which team would attend the NCAA Tournament, with the Tigers coming out on top 3-1. Sophomore Cameron Dames was honored as Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and was one of six Tigers to earn All-Ivy honors along with King, who was named Ivy League Coach of the Year. The Tigers would face No. 16 seed Penn State at Penn State at the NCAA Tournament.
2017: despite losing the two-time Ivy League Player of the Year and trailing Yale by two matches with five to play, Princeton clawed back to share the Ivy title, and then swept Yale in New Haven to return to the NCAA tournament. The Tigers, who hadn't won a single match at Yale between the 2008-2016 seasons, went 2-0 in New Haven and won six of seven sets. Maggie O'Connell '20 was the Ivy Player of the Year and was one of an Ivy-best five all-league players. Princeton fell to 13th-seeded Iowa State in the NCAA tournament.
2016: King won her second straight Ivy League Coach of the Year award, this time by unanimous vote, during a season in which Princeton dominated the league; the Tigers won 14 straight matches and 26 straight sets at different points, and they led after 20 points in two of three NCAA sets against 10th-seeded BYU. Cara Mattaliano '17 won her second straight Ivy League Player of the Year award, while Maggie O'Connel' earned Ivy Rookie of the Year. They were two of an Ivy-most five all-league players, including three freshman starters.
2015: Princeton made history by becoming the first team in any sport to win the league after an 0-3 start. King coached the Tigers to their first Ivy title since 2007 and was named the Ivy League Coach of the Year. Cara Mattaliano was named the Ivy League Player of the Year, the first Tiger to earn that honor since 2007.
Even the 2018 season was an impressive one, as Princeton went 19-6 overall with two wins over Big Ten teams, and the Tigers went 12-2 in the Ivy League. Though they didn't win the title, they were named one of the final four teams that missed an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament; no Ivy League team in history has ever earned an at-large bid to NCAAs.
King, who has been a major part of Princeton volleyball for 22 of the past 25 years, has been the head coach for 12 seasons at Princeton, a span that has included 44 All-Ivy League players and 196 wins.
Her first four seasons at Princeton featured several All-Ivy performances, including three from Kendall Peterkin, as well as the development of several players who played key roles in the 2015 and 2016 championship seasons.
King led the Tigers to an Ivy League title as a player in 1997, 1999 and 2000, as well as to titles in 2004 and 2007 as an assistant coach.
King was a standout as both a player and coach under legendary Princeton coach Glenn Nelson, the winningest coach in Princeton University history. The 1999 Ivy League Player of the Year, King ranks in the all-time Top 5 at Princeton in kills (1367), digs (1441) and aces (121). She either played with or coached almost every member of the Top 5 in each major statistical category. She is also well versed in what it takes to succeed both on the court and in the classroom at Princeton.
After graduating in 2001, King returned to the bench as Nelson’s lone assistant coach in 2002 and took over the duties as recruiting coordinator. With Nelson also serving as the head men’s coach, King assumed all responsibilities for the women’s program in the spring. She helped guide the Tigers to two titles, including a 2007 championship run that featured the first, and so far only, perfect season in Ivy League volleyball since double round-robin play began in 2001.
In her seven years as an assistant coach, Princeton averaged 18.7 victories per season. In her final three seasons, which included the terrific Class of 2009 that was led by three-time first-team All-Ivy League selections Lindsey Ensign and Parker Henritze, the Tigers went 37-5 within the Ivy League and never finished below second place.
Additionally, King serves on the Executive Committee for Tigers Together, Princeton Athletics' commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She also served on the AVCA All-America Committee from 2018-2021.
King resides in Princeton with her husband Abel Smith and their two daugthers Lyla and Ilex.
| Year |
Overall Record |
Ivy Record | 1st-Team All-Ivy | All-Ivy Honorees | Ivy Finish |
| 2011 | 18-8 | 11-3 | 2 | 4 | 2nd |
| 2012 | 12-12 | 9-5 | 2 | 4 | 2nd |
| 2013 | 10-14 | 6-8 | 1 | 2 | 5th |
| 2014 | 14-10 | 9-5 | 2 | 3 | 3rd |
| 2015 | 15-9 | 10-4 | 2 | 4 | 1st |
| 2016 | 19-5 | 13-1 | 3 | 5 | 1st |
| 2017 | 18-8 | 10-4 | 1 | 5 | 1st |
| 2018 | 19-6 | 12-2 | 2 | 5 | 2nd |
| 2019 | 17-8 | 10-2 | 3 | 3 | 1st |
| 2021 | 16-6 | 10-4 | 2 | 5 | 2nd |
| 2022 | 21-4 | 13-1 | 4 | 1 | 1st |
| 2023 | 14-9 | 11-3 | 1 | 3 | 2nd |
| 2024 | 15-11 | 12-2 | 1 | 4 | 1st |
| Totals | 208-108 | 136-44 | 26 | 48 |
