MATCH INFORMATION
MATCH #11: Cornell vs. Colgate
MATCH TIME: Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012; 7:00 p.m.
MATCH SITE: Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads, 53-27-1
LAST MEETING: Colgate won, 3-1, Oct. 11, 2011
2012 RECORDS: Cornell (2-8); Colgate (4-11)
Live Stats: http://sidearmstats.com/cornell/wvball/scoreboard.aspx

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Big Red volleyball team plays its first home game of the season, as it welcomes in-state rival Colgate for a midweek matchup at Newman Arena on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at 7 p.m. Cornell (2-8) is looking to end a two-match skid, while the  Raiders (4-11) come to Ithaca on a three match winning-streak. Live stats will be available for the contest at: http://sidearmstats.com/cornell/wvball/scoreboard.aspx

THE SERIES VS. COLGATE: The Big Red has a history of success against the Raiders, holding a 53-27-1 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to 1972, the very first season of varsity volleyball in Cornell history. The Raiders currently hold a five-match winning streak in the series with the Big Red's last victory coming during the 2005 season.

SCOUTING THE RAIDERS: Colgate got off to a slow start, but has won three consecutive matches to improve to 4-11 on the year and 2-0 in the Patriot League. The team is led by Lindsay Young with 2.96 kills per set, while Diane Seely (2.15) and Michelle McCarthy (2.08) both also average more than two kills per set. Setters Kaylee Fifer and Jackie May are registering 5.74 and 4.91 assists per set, respectively and Caitlin Cremin leads the team with 3.63 digs per set.

LAST TIME VS. COLGATE: After getting off to a great start and earning the victory in the first set of the night the Big Red volleyball team dropped three straight, falling to Colgate, 3-1, at Cotterell Court on Oct. 11, 2011. Three of the four matches were taken right to the limit and were decided by two points: 25-23, 25-27, 14-25, 23-2. Cornell (2-15) was led by Janel Forte and Meagan Tatum with 15 and 14 kills, respectively. Senior setter Jordan Reeder recorded 23 assists and freshman setter Kelly Reinke tallied 15. Defensively, the Big Red finished the night with 14 total blocks, led by Alice Cope with seven block assists and one block solo, and Madeleine Przybyl with five block assists and one block solo. Behind them libero Risa Ka'awa posted a match-high 19 digs and Natasha Rowland finished with 14 digs. Colgate (8-11) had a trio of hitters – Lindsay Young (17), Kaylee Dougherty (15), Kenzie Hume (10) – finish with double-digit kills and setter Kaylee Fifer posted a 52-assist, 15-dig double-double.

VS. THE PATRIOT LEAGUE: The Big Red is 86-38-1 against the current members of the Patriot League, thanks mostly to a 53-27-1 record over Colgate. Cornell also has a winning record against Army (6-1), Bucknell (12-1), Holy Cross (4-0), Lafayette (4-1) and Lehigh (5-2). The Big Red's series with Navy is tied at 2-2, while American is the only team in the Patriot League with a winning record against Cornell (4-0) … Head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose is 1-0 vs. the members of the Patriot League, as the Big Red defeated Bucknell earlier this season.

THE HEAD COACH: Cornell head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose is in her first season at Cornell (2-8, .200) ... Batie-Smoose became the 10th coach in Cornell volleyball history in April 2012 ... She has an 89-70 (.560) record as a head coach, including a mark of 81-43 (.653) at Savannah College of Art & Design.

FIRST WIN: Head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose earned her first win with the Big Red in a 3-2 triumph over Bucknell on Sept. 7 at Fordham's Rose Hill Classic. There was plenty to like in the victory, including the team's tenacious attack. The Big Red rallied from an 0-2 deficit for the second time in the span of six hours to force a fifth set, but this time was able to close out the win after dropping a 3-2 contest in the morning session to the host Rams.

DID YOU KNOW??:
* Sierra Young is part of Cornell's Sustainable Design group, which is working to create affordable housing in the form of a 30-house cooperative in Nicaragua.
* Breanna Wong has two different size feet. Her left foot is a women's size 9, while her right foot is a 10.5.
* Ana Vanjak is fluent in five languages (Croatian, German, English, Spanish, Latin) and working on a sixth (French).
* Brittany Kalepa was part of the Kamehameha School's Children's Choir, which recorded music for Disney's Lilo & Stitch.
* Rachel D'Epagnier runs Cornell's chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and took a sports mission to Costa Rica this past summer to teach volleyball.

FRESHMAN FIRST: Freshman Breanna Wong currently leads the Big Red with 2.78 kills per game. If she finishes the season with the most kills on the team she will be just the fourth Cornell freshman since 1987 to achieve that feat, joining Debbie Quibell (2000), Liz Bishop (2006) and Deveney Pula (2009).

ALL-TOURNEY TEAM:
* Rachel D'Epagnier was named to the Omni Hotel Colorado Volleyball Classic All-Tournament Team. Over the course of the weekend, the junior middle blocker averaged 1.67 kills per set, while hitting a team-best .375. She also added 11 total blocks (four solo, seven assisted).
* Kelly Reinke was named to Fordham's Rose Hill All-Tournament Team. Through four games, the sophomore setter averaged 8.06 assists per set to go along with 2.28 digs per set. She also collected seven service aces and eight block assists.
* Rachel D'Epagnier was named “Best Blocker” at the Temple Invitational, while Kelly Marble earned “Best Server” honors.

40 YEARS OF BIG RED VOLLEYBALL: This season, the Big Red will be celebrating 40 years of volleyball at Cornell. The team will have a an official celebration in conjunction with its annual Alumni Weekend, to be held when it plays host to Yale on Friday, Sept. 28 and Brown on Saturday, Sept. 29.

SEASON OPENERS: Cornell is 27-13-1 all-time in season openers. Since 1995, the Big Red is an impressive 14-4 in the first match of the season.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN: Brittany Fox '14, Kelly Marble '14 and Kelly Reinke '15 have been named captains for the 2012 season.

FRESH FACES: The Big Red adds four freshmen to the team this season - Brittany-Ann Kalepa (Honolulu, Hawaii), Shannon O'Brien (Naperville, Ill.), Brittany Ward (Friendswood, Texas) and Breanna Wong (Highlands Ranch, Colo.). The group consists of two defensive specialists, a middle/outside hitter, and a rightside/outside hitter. The incoming class also draws from four different states, with the group representing Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois and Texas.

KIDS IN THE HALL: Jaimee Reynolds '02, who played both volleyball and women's lacrosse at Cornell, has been selected for induction into the Cornell University Athletic Hall of Fame at the 36th annual ceremonies to be held Friday, Nov. 2 on the Cornell campus. The first four-time All-American in women's lacrosse and the third in any women's sport at Cornell, Reynolds was one of three finalists for national player of the year as a senior. Reynolds also lettered four times in volleyball and her 1,023 assists at setter in 2001 ranks among the top 10 marks in school history. She was the NCAA New York Woman of the Year and one of 10 finalists for NCAA Woman of the Year in 2002 and was a Honda Award finalist that same season.

UP NEXT: Cornell will hold its 40 Years of Volleyball Celebration next weekend when it plays host to Yale on Friday, Sept. 28 and Brown on Saturday, Sept. 29 in its first full weekend of Ivy League action. The Bulldogs have won the past eight meetings to take a 32-25 lead in the all-time series, but Cornell has dominated the Bears, owning a 37-19 record overall and winning 17 of the last 23 meetings, including five of the last eight contests.