ITHACA, N.Y. – Following a pair of road wins against Penn and Princeton, the Cornell volleyball team will return home this weekend to host Ivy League foes Dartmouth on Friday, Oct. 11 and Harvard on Saturday, Oct. 12 at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.

MATCH INFORMATION

Match #13: Cornell vs. Dartmouth
Match Time: Friday, Oct. 11, 2019 at 7 p.m.
Match Site: Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Series Record: Cornell leads, 44-18
Last Meeting: Cornell won, 3-1; Oct. 26, 2018
2019 Records: Cornell (10-2, 3-0 Ivy League); Dartmouth (5-7, 1-2 Ivy League)
Live Video (ESPN+): https://es.pn/2OuBOXn
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/2lIA40d
Promotional Event: Dig Pink Match
 
Match #14: Cornell vs. Harvard
Match Time: Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019 at 5 p.m.
Match Site: Newman Arena (Ithaca, N.Y.)
Series Record: Cornell leads, 40-28
Last Meeting: Cornell won, 3-1; Oct. 27, 2018
2019 Records: Cornell (10-2, 3-0 Ivy League); Harvard (3-9, 1-2 Ivy League)
Live Video (ESPN+): https://es.pn/2VqbcYU
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/2lIA40d
Promotional Event: #DontBearItAlone Match
 
*Records prior to Friday's contests.

THE WEEKEND:

The Big Red enters the weekend on an eight match winning streak, opening Ivy League play 3-0 after downing Penn (3-2) and Princeton (3-1) on the road last weekend. One of only two undefeated teams in the Ivy League through the first two weekends of play (Yale), the Big Red will look to keep on rolling when it hosts Dartmouth on Friday at 7 p.m. and Harvard on Saturday at 5 p.m.
 
Both Dartmouth and Harvard come into the weekends' contests with 1-2 Ivy League records. Dartmouth dropped both of its contests last weekend, falling to Brown, 3-1, and Yale, 3-1. Harvard split last weekends' matchups, losing to Yale, 3-0, before defeating Brown, 3-0.
 
For fans who can't be in attendance this weekend, both matches will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and live stats will also be provided.

DIG PINK:

The Big Red will hold its annual Dig Pink match during its contest against Dartmouth on Friday. Fans can show their support by wearing pink to the match and by donating to the Big Red's fund at https://giving.side-out.org/campaigns/15611#/. All of the money raised will be donated to the Side-Out foundation and will go toward a clinical trial specifically for patients with Stage 4 breast cancer, which is the most advanced form of the disease and the least funded area of research.

#DontBearItAlone:

Cornell will host its #DontBearItAlone match on Saturday against Harvard. The #DontBearItAlone campaign, which was started by Cornell's Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), was created to improve awareness of mental health issues and resources available to student-athletes. Fans can show their support for the campaign by wearing green to the match and donating to The Sophie Fund at https://thesophiefund.org/donate-2/. The organization supports mental health initiatives, raises awareness about mental illness and treatment, and serves as an advocate for young people struggling with mental disorders.

THE SERIES VS. DARTMOUTH:

Cornell owns a commanding 44-18 series advantage over Dartmouth dating back to 1981. Last season, the Big Red continued to take it the Big Green, sweeping Dartmouth. The Big Red defeated the Big Green at Newman Arena, 3-0, and on the road, 3-1.

SCOUTING THE BIG GREEN:

Dartmouth enters Friday's contest with a 5-7 overall record and a 1-2 conference record. The Big Green's lone Ivy League win came against Harvard in the opening weekend of Ivy League play, as the Big Green defeated the Crimson in five sets, 3-2. Cornell and Dartmouth have played one common non-conference opponent in Hartford. The Big Green was swept by the Hawks, 3-0, while Hartford handed Cornell one of its only two losses on the season, as the Big Red fell in a five set thriller, 3-2.
 
As a team, Dartmouth currently leads the Ivy League in digs/set (15.61), also ranking second in blocks/set (2.05) and opponent hitting percentage (.183). The battle at the net between the Big Red and the Big Green should be a great one, as Cornell ranks first in the conference in both blocks/set (2.13) and opponent hitting percentage (.167).
 
Dartmouth also has multiple student-athletes ranked in the top-10 in the Ivy League in their respective statistical categories. Bella Hedley ranks third in digs/set (4.00), Tola Akinwumi sits third in blocks/set (1.04), Makenzie Arent ranks fifth in assists/set (6.95), Francesca Meldrum sits sixth in hitting percentage (.336), and Grace Wiczek sits ninth in kills/set (2.66). Arent and Meldrum have made a big impact for the Big Green so far this season, as Arent was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week in back-to-back weeks earlier this season and Meldrum earned an Ivy League Player of the Week honor of her own on Sept. 30.

THE SERIES VS. HARVARD:

Cornell also holds the series advantage over Harvard, leading 40-28 going all the way back to 1977. The Big Red swept the Crimson last season for the first time since 2011, beating Harvard at home, 3-1, and in Cambridge, Mass., 3-1.

SCOUTING THE CRIMSON:

The Crimson currently own a 3-9 overall record and 1-2 conference record, having lost eight straight matches before defeating Brown, 3-0, last weekend. Following Harvard's win over Brown, freshman Grace Allen was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Week after notching 13 kills and zero errors for a .722 hitting percentage. Allen also chipped in three blocks, helping the Crimson rank third in the Ivy League in blocks/set (2.04).
 
The Crimson have been solid from the serving line this season, as Ashley Wang (0.43) and Bella Almanza (0.38) currently rank fifth and seventh, respectively, in the Ivy League in aces/set. Wang also sits ninth in the conference in assists/set (5.00), while Sope Adeleye ranks second in blocks/set (1.19) and Sandra Zeng sits ninth in digs/set (3.47).

NCAA INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS:

The following Cornell players entered the week ranked in the top 75 of the NCAA in their respective statistical categories:
* Jenna Phelps – 16th in Hitting Percentage (.423)
* Jada Stackhouse – 22nd in Hitting Percentage (.414), 60th in Blocks/Set (1.21)

NCAA TEAM RANKINGS: 

As a team, the Big Red entered the week ranked in the top 75 of the NCAA in the following statistical categories:
* 16th in Hitting Percentage (.272)
* 19th in Match W-L Percentage (0.833)
* 31st in Opponent Hitting Percentage (0.164)
* 36th in Aces/Set (1.65)
* 55th in Assists/Set (12.37)
* 55th in Kills/Set (13.41)

INDIVIDUAL IVY RANKINGS:

The following Cornell student-athletes are currently ranked among the best in the Ivy League in their respective statistical categories:
* Jada Stackhouse – 1st in Blocks/Set (1.21), 3rd in Hitting Percentage (.414)
* Jenna Phelps – 2nd in Hitting Percentage (.423)
* Lily Barber – 4th in Aces/Set (0.47), 4th in Digs/Set (3.84)
* Zoe Chamness – 7th in Assists/Set (5.46)
* Emma Worthington – 8th in Assists/Set (5.33)
* Jillienne Bennett – 9th in Hitting Percentage (.308)

IVY RANKINGS:

Cornell is currently leading the Ivy League as a team in a league-high four statistical categories, including hitting percentage (.272), opponent hitting percentage (.164), blocks/set (2.13), and aces/set (1.65).

MOVING ON UP:

The following Big Red student-athletes find themselves moving up the Cornell career records:
* Jenna Phelps – 7th in Block Assists (250), 10th in Total Blocks (279), 19th in Solo Blocks (29), 24th in Total Points (763.0), 28th in Kills (530)
* Zoe Chamness – 12th in Assists (1,349)
* Jada Stackhouse – 11th in Block Assists (208), 14th in Total Blocks (242), 18th in Solo Blocks (34)
* Lily Barber – 12th in Digs (951), 20th in Assists (277)

ON A ROLL:

With eight straight wins, the Big Red is currently on its longest win streak since the 2006 season when the team won nine consecutive matches.

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 (54-53), 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 travel to Brown and Yale for a pair of Ivy League road matchups on Oct. 18-19. Cornell will face Brown on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. in Providence, R.I., before heading to New Haven, Conn., to take on Yale on Oct. 19 at 5 p.m.