PRINCETON, N.J. – The Big Red volleyball team gave Princeton all that it could handle, but the Tigers used an impressive fifth-set comeback to down Cornell, 3-2, and secure the Ivy League championship. The match was a back-and-forth affair, with Princeton winning the first (25-18) and third (25-23), while the Big Red won the second (25-23) and dominated in the fourth (25-16) to force the decisive fifth set, which Princeton won, 15-10.
The Big Red jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth set, on the strength of two aces from
Natalie Danenhauer and two kills by
Samanta Arenas. The run ended with a kill by Maggie O'Connell and the home team eventually pulled within one-point (4-3). The teams traded points to 6-5 before a kill from
Macey Wilson, followed by a block from Wilson and
Kit McCarty, and a Princeton ball handling error put the Big Red up, 9-5, and forced the Tigers to call a time out. Princeton regrouped during the break and closed the set on a 10-1 run to seal the victory and win the Ivy crown.
Cornell (11-12, 5-8 Ivy) was led by
Carla Sganderlla's 16 kills, while Arenas finished with 12 kills and 12 digs. Wilson hit a team-high .429 with nine kills (9-3-14), while McCarty chipped in eight kills. Wilson and McCarty also finished with five and four block assists, respectively.
Libero
Kiley McPeek led four Big Red with double-digit digs, tallying 19, while Shea Bauchens chipped in 15.
Senior setter
Alyssa Phelps handed out 46 assists, registered 10 digs, and finished with five kills.
Princeton (18-4, 12-1 Ivy) was led by Cara Mattaliano's 21 kills, while O'Connell (13), Caroline Sklaver (12), and Devon Peterkin (11) finished in double-figures.
The Big Red concludes the 2016 season tomorrow, Saturday, Nov. 12, when it travels to Penn to take on the Quakers at 5 p.m.
