ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell volleyball team (13-3, 6-1) will open the second half of Ivy League play when it travels to the Big Apple to face Columbia (10-7, 3-4) on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. at Levien Gymnasium in New York.

MATCH INFORMATION

Match #17: Cornell at Columbia
Match Time: Saturday, Oct. 26, 2019 at 2 p.m.
Match Site: Levien Gymnasium (New York, N.Y.)
Series Record: Cornell leads, 55-14
Last Meeting: Cornell won, 3-0; Sept. 18, 2019 (Ithaca, N.Y.)
2019 Records: Cornell (13-3, 6-1 Ivy League); Columbia (10-7, 3-4 Ivy League)
Live Video (ESPN+): es.pn/2VZdui2
Live Stats: bit.ly/2BrGBBn

THE WEEKEND:

The Big Red and Lions prepare to square off for the second time this season, as the second half of Ivy League play commences. Cornell will look to bounce back on Saturday after a 3-1 (18-25, 25-18, 25-15, 25-22) loss to Yale on Oct. 19 shattered its 11-game win streak and gave the Big Red its first Ivy League loss of the season. Columbia will be looking to get back in the win column as well after dropping a pair of contests to Yale (3-0) and Brown (3-1) last weekend.
 
For fans who wish to follow along with all the action on Saturday, the match will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and live stats will be provided.

THE SERIES VS. COLUMBIA:

The Big Red and the Lions have squared off 69 times since the series started in 1977, with Cornell holding a commanding 55-14 record over Columbia. The Big Red's last win over the Lions came earlier this season, when Cornell defeated Columbia, 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 25-19), at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y. If Cornell can come away with the victory on Saturday, it would mark the second-straight year that the Big Red has swept the Lions.

SCOUTING THE LIONS:

Saturday's contest will be the first of a five-match home stand for the Lions, who hold a solid 4-1 record at Levien Gymnasium this season. Columbia will attempt to defend its home court once again, but Cornell will do everything in its power to disrupt the peace.
 
The Lions have been led this year by senior standout Chichi Ikwauzom, whose performance has caught national attention. In addition to earning a league-high four Player of the Week awards, Ikwauzom was named the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week on Sept. 24. She currently ranks in the top-10 nationally in five statistical categories, including third in kills/set (5.48) and points/set (6.16), fourth in hitting percentage (0.452), and sixth in points (400.50) and total kills (356). Ikwauzom leads the Ivy League in these categories as well.
 
In addition to Ikwauzom, several other Lions also rank among the best in the Ivy League in their respective statistical categories. Those student-athletes include:
* Audrey Cheng – Third in Assists/Set (9.40)
* Kalie Wood – Fifth in Digs/Game (3.57)

THE IVY LEAGUE LANDSCAPE:

The second half of Ivy League play is shaping up to be exciting, as Cornell (6-1) sits in a three-way tie for first place with Princeton (6-1), and Yale (6-1). To make things even more interesting, Cornell's, Princeton's, and Yale's lone conference loss came from one of the other first-place opponents. Cornell beat Princeton, 3-1, while Princeton swept Yale, 3-0, and Yale defeated the Big Red, 3-1.

WHAT A RUN IT WAS:

Prior to the Big Red's 3-1 (18-25, 25-18, 25-15, 25-22) loss to Yale last Saturday, Cornell posted its longest win streak in 16 years, winning 11 straight games. Cornell's 6-0 start to open conference play was also its best since 2005 when the team won its first 12 Ivy League contests.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB:

With her seventh dig in the contest against Yale, senior libero Lily Barber joined an exclusive list in Cornell volleyball history, becoming just the ninth Big Red volleyball player to amass 1,000 digs for her career. She is also the first Cornell volleyball student-athlete to collect 1,000 digs since Natasha Rowland did so in 2014. After finishing the match with 15 total digs, Barber has 1,008 for her career, and that number is still growing.

NCAA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS:

As the second half of Ivy League play begins, senior middle blockers Jenna Phelps (.432) and Jada Stackhouse (.413) are among the best in the nation in hitting percentage, ranking eighth and 20th, respectively, in all of Division I.

NCAA TEAM RANKINGS:

Highlighted by a top-20 national ranking in hitting percentage, the Big Red entered the week ranked in the top-50 of the NCAA in the following statistical categories:
* 17th in Hitting Percentage (.274)
* 27th in Match W-L Percentage (0.813)
* 30th in Kills/Set (13.68)
* 39th in Aces/Set (1.63)
* 39th in Assists/Set (12.60)
* 46th in Opponent Hitting Percentage (0.173)

INDIVIDUAL IVY RANKINGS:

The following Cornell student-athletes are currently ranked among the best in the Ivy League in their respective statistical categories:
* Jenna Phelps – 2nd in Hitting Percentage (.432)
* Jada Stackhouse – 2nd in Blocks/Set (1.13), 3rd in Hitting Percentage (.413)
* Lily Barber – 2nd in Aces/Set (0.38), 4th in Digs/Set (3.88)
* Emma Worthington – 5th in Aces/Set (0.33), 6th in Assists/Set (6.34)
* Zoe Chamness – 7th in Assists/Set (5.50), 7th in aces/set (0.30)
* Jillienne Bennett – 8th in Hitting Percentage (.332)
* Joanna Chang – 9th in Aces/Set (0.29)

IVY RANKINGS:

Cornell is currently leading the Ivy League as a team in a league-high six statistical categories, including the following:
* Hitting Percentage (.274)
* Aces/Set (1.63)
* Opponent Hitting Percentage (.173)
* Opponent Assists/Set (10.05)
* Opponent Kills/Set (10.72)
* Opponent Blocks/Set (1.78)

YOU'VE BEEN SERVED:

The Big Red has stepped up to the serving line with confidence this season, as four Cornell student-athletes rank in the top-10 in the Ivy League in aces/set. Lily Barber ranks second (0.38), Emma Worthington sits fifth (0.33), Zoe Chamness ranks seventh (0.30), and Joanna Chang sits ninth (0.29).

MOVING ON UP:

The following Big Red student-athletes find themselves moving up the Cornell career records:
* Jenna Phelps – 7th in Block Assists (252), 10th in Total Blocks (282), 18th in Solo Blocks (30), 22nd in Total Points (774.0), 27th in Kills (539)
* Lily Barber – 9th in Digs (1,008), 21st in Assists (298)
* Jada Stackhouse – 10th in Block Assists (219), 14th in Total Blocks (254), 17th in Solo Blocks (35)
* Zoe Chamness – 11th in Assists (1,378)
* Emma Worthington – 19th in Assists (368)

IVY LEAGUE ROOKIES OF THE WEEK:

Both Joanna Chang and Emma Worthington have earned the title of Ivy League Rookie of the Week this season, as Chang received the honor on Sept. 30 and Worthington earned the accolade on Oct. 14.

ALL TOURNAMENT TEAMS:

The following Big Red players earned a spot on one or more all-tournament teams during the non-conference portion of the schedule:
*Jada Stackhouse was named to the all-tournament team at all three tournaments in which the Big Red competed – The Cornell Invitational, The Bay Area Invitational, and the Blue and White Classic.
*Jenna Phelps was named the Blue and White Classic MVP, also earning a spot on the Bay Area Invitational all-tournament team.
*Jillienne Bennett was named to the Cornell Invitational all-tournament team.
*Joanna Chang earned a spot on the Blue and White Classic all-tournament team.

PRESEASON POLL:

After back-to-back third place Ivy League finishes in 2017 and 2018, the Big Red was selected to once again place third in 2019, the Ivy League announced in its preseason poll on August 29. The Big Red, who received a total of 91 points in the preseason poll, are coming off a season that saw the team go 14-10 overall and 9-5 in conference play, posting the most conference wins since the 2008 campaign.
 
Princeton, who received a league-high 10 first place votes and a total of 120 points, was chosen as the preseason Ivy League favorite. Yale, the 2018 Ivy League Champion, was picked second with five first place votes and 117 points. Harvard received the final first place vote, and was chosen to finish behind Cornell in fourth with 80 points.

A PROGRAM ON THE RISE:

Over the course of the past two years, the Big Red volleyball program has been on the up-and-up, with their back-to-back third place Ivy League finishes marking the best consecutive seasons by Cornell since the program won three straight titles following a second place finish from 2003-06. This season, the team is ready to break through the third place barrier, having their sights set on an Ivy League title.

THE HEAD COACH:

The Big Red is led by Trudy Vande Berg, The Wendy Schaenen '79 Head Coach of Volleyball. Now in her fifth season (57-54), Vande Berg became the 11th head coach in Cornell volleyball history in March 2015 after spending three years with the Big Red as an assistant coach. The 2017 Ivy League Coach of the Year, Vande Berg has been the guiding force of the Big Red's recent success.

STRENGTH COMES IN NUMBERS:

The Cornell roster is filled with experience and depth, as the squad returns 15 letter winners from 2018, including four All-Ivy League performers. Seniors Samanta Arenas and Jenna Phelps and sophomore Jilliene Bennett will all be faces to watch after earning second team All-Ivy League distinction last year. Senior libero Lily Barber will be a key component of the Big Red defense, coming off of an All-Ivy League Honorable Mention nod in 2018.

FRESH NEW FACES:

Joanna Chang, Riley Hazelrigg, Evan Reich, and Emma Worthington are the newest members of the Cornell volleyball squad, joining the team for the 2019 season. The group, who will make and immediate impact for the Big Red, consists of one pin hitter, one setter, and two defensive specialists.

UP NEXT:

The Big Red will return to Newman Arena for a four-game home stand, beginning with contests against Princeton at 7 p.m. on Nov. 1 and Penn at 5 p.m. on Nov. 2.