ITHACA, N.Y. – Before playing five-straight matches at home from Oct. 23 to Nov. 6, the Cornell volleyball team must first take care of business on the road when it travels to Harvard on Friday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. and Dartmouth on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. for a pair of Ivy League contests.
Game Information:
Cornell at Harvard
DATE/TIME: Friday, Oct. 15, 2021 at 7 p.m.
SITE: Malkin Athletic Center – Cambridge, Mass.
RECORDS: Cornell 5-8, 1-4 Ivy League / Harvard 6-8, 3-2 Ivy League
BROADCAST: ESPN+ (es.pn/3BDKhgx)
STATS: gocrimson.com (gocrimson.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary)
GAME NOTES
Cornell at Dartmouth
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 at 5 p.m.
SITE: Leede Arena – Hanover, N.H.
RECORDS: Cornell 5-8, 1-4 Ivy League / Dartmouth 8-6, 0-5 Ivy League
BROADCAST: ESPN+ (es.pn/3vcclFI)
STATS: dartmouthsports.com (dartmouthsports.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary)
GAME NOTES
What's on Tap:
• Cornell's contests at Harvard and Dartmouth will mark the sixth and seventh times in the last nine matches that the Big Red has gone to battle away from Newman Arena.
• The Big Red's battles with Harvard and Dartmouth will close out the first round of Ivy League competition. Cornell will look to start picking off opponents and climbing the Ivy rankings as conference play continues, currently sitting in sixth with a 1-4 conference record.
• The Big Red is eyeing three-straight weekends of competition at home on Oct. 23 against Columbia, Oct. 29-30 against Yale and Brown, and Nov. 5-6 against Dartmouth and Harvard, but must first take care of business against the Crimson and Big Green this weekend.
• This weekend's matches will be broadcast on ESPN+, along with every one of Cornell's Ivy League contests for the remainder of the season. ESPN+ is available to fans in the U.S. for $4.99/event, $6.99/month, or $69.99/year (http://plus.espn.com/). A similar international platform at the same price point is available for fans outside of the U.S., featuring both live and archived games.
Last Time Out:
• The Big Red snapped a five-game losing skid and got back in the win column with a 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-19) sweep of Penn on Saturday, Oct. 9, securing the team's first Ivy League victory of the season.
• The victory was a total team effort, with four Cornell student-athletes notching double-digit kills. Casey Justus (14), Jillienne Bennett (13), Camryn Carlo (10), and Madison Baptiste (10) combined for 47 of the Big Red's 52 kills.
• Led by Jillienne Bennett's match- and career-high .667 hitting percentage, the quartet was the catalyst behind the team's .443 hitting percentage in the match, the highest team hitting percentage for a single match in the Ivy League this season.
• The team's .443 hitting percentage against the Quakers also ranks among the top-five hitting percentages for a match in program history, ranking fifth all-time.
• Casey Justus has been unstoppable as of late, averaging 14.5 kills per match and a .546 hitting percentage over Cornell's two weekend matches against Princeton and Penn.
• Although the Big Red fell to Princeton, 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 34-32), on Friday, Oct. 8, Justus shined, registering a career-high 15 kills to go along with a .542 hitting percentage, including nine kills and an .818 hitting percentage through the first two sets.
• After her stellar weekend, Justus currently ranks third in the conference in hitting percentage (.357), up six spots from just a week ago when she sat ninth.
• Several Big Red rookies continue to settle into their roles on the team. In the back row, Jackie Baker and Megan Bickel have become key pieces of the Big Red defense. Baker continues to impress at libero, leading the team in digs in both of Cornell's weekend contests, including a performance against the Quakers that saw her post a match-high 17 digs, five assists, and a match-best three aces. She has amassed double-digit digs in 10 of Cornell's 13 contests so far this season.
• Megan Bickel made her first collegiate start against Princeton at defensive specialist, notching nine digs.
• Carlo has become a force to be reckoned for the Big Red in the blocking category, and that was no different last weekend, but she had a breakthrough performance in Cornell's sweep of Penn, notching a career-high 10 kills on just 16 attempts for a .562 hitting percentage.
About Harvard:
• Harvard enters the weekend tied for third in the conference with a 3-2 Ivy League and 6-8 overall record. The Crimson are coming off a weekend that saw the team go 1-1, falling to Brown, 3-1, but picking up a big win over Yale in a five-set thriller, 3-2.
• After starting the season 1-6, Harvard has picked up steam, going 5-2 in its last seven matches.
• The Crimson will be hungry to secure a win at home, returning to the Malkin Athletic Center for the first time since hosting the Harvard Invitational on Sept. 3-4. The team has since played 11-straight matches on the road.
• Led by Ashley Wang, Harvard has had great success at the serving line this season, ranking second in the conference as a team in aces per set (1.65), while sitting 63rd nationally. Wang currently ranks second in the Ivy League and 24th in all of Division I individually in aces per set (0.50).
• Wang also has a triple double to her name this season, notching 28 assists, 13 digs, and 10 kills against Northeastern on Sept. 11. She ranks sixth in the country this season in triple doubles.
• Katie Vorhies leads the Harvard attack, sitting ninth in the Ivy League in kills per set (3.08) and points per set (3.39).
• Ariana White (1.00) and Olivia Cooper (0.98) rank fifth and sixth, respectively, in the Ivy League in blocks per set. The are a key reason why Harvard ranks third in the conference as a team in the statistical category (2.16).
• Setter Bella Almanza ranks eighth in the conference in assists per set (5.11), while Lindsey Zhang sits eighth in digs per set (3.56).
The Series vs. Harvard:
• Cornell holds the series advantage over Harvard, leading 42-28 going all the way back to 1977.
• The Big Red swept the Crimson in 2018 and 2019, marking the first time since 2007 and 2008 that the Big Red has posted back-to-back season sweeps of Harvard.
• Cornell enters Friday's contest having won five-straight against Harvard, including the team's last match-up on Nov. 15, 2019 in Cambridge, Mass., which saw the Big Red come out on top, 3-0 (25-23, 25-19, 25-15).
• Madison Baptiste notched a match-high and season-best 14 digs in the win.
About Dartmouth:
• Dartmouth went an impressive 8-1 in nonconference play to open the season but has struggled since conference play commenced, remaining winless in Ivy League action (0-5).
• The Big Green dropped a pair of conference bouts with Brown, 3-0, and Yale, 3-1, last weekend, falling to 8-6 overall on the season.
• Emma Engstrom has been a dig machine for the Big Green this season, leading the Ivy League and ranking 32nd nationally in digs per set (4.88). Her 278 digs so far this season rank 81st in all of Division I.
• Piggy-backing off of Engstrom's lead, Dartmouth ranks 16th in the nation as a team in digs per set (17.25).
• Ellie Blain has been the center of the Big Green offense this season, ranking fourth in the Ivy League in kills per set (3.58) and fifth in points per set (3.95).
• Amelia Gibbs has been efficient on the attack, ranking second in the conference in hitting percentage (.378).
• Karen Murphy (5.40) and Makenzie Arent (5.09), sit seventh and ninth, respectively, in the Ivy League in assists per set.
The Series vs. Dartmouth:
• The Big Red owns a commanding 45-19 series advantage over Dartmouth dating back to 1981.
• The Big Green won the most recent meeting between the two teams, however, as Dartmouth handed Cornell a 3-1 loss at Leede Arena to close out the 2019 season on Nov. 16, 2019.
• Leede Arena has been a historically difficult place to play for the Big Red, as 11 of Cornell's 19 losses to Dartmouth have been in Hanover, N.H.
Justus Has Been Served:
• When Casey Justus goes up for an attack, chances are she's putting down the kill. The senior middle blocker is currently hitting .357 on the season, a mark which ranks third in the Ivy League and 74th in all of Division I.
• Justus' hitting percentage currently ranks sixth in Cornell history for a single season.
• Over Cornell's last three matches, she has averaged a .539 hitting percentage with 39 total kills.
On-Point
• Jillienne Bennett was on fire against Penn, notching 13 kills on 18 attempts for a match- and career-high .667 hitting percentage.
• Bennett's mark not only ranks third in the Ivy League for a single match so far this season, but sits eighth all-time in Big Red history.
Dig Big Red:
• As a team, the Big Red ranks third in the Ivy League and 47th in all of Division I in digs per set (16.24).
• Jackie Baker has put her defensive skills on display, ranking seventh in the conference in digs per set (3.62).
• The freshman libero has notched double-digit digs in 10 of Cornell's 13 matches this season.
Set for Success:
• Emma Worthington has been a consistent setting presence for the Big Red all-season long, individually recording more assists than the opposing team as a whole in five matches and pacing Cornell in assists in every match in which it has played.
• In addition, Worthington has posted eight dig-assist double-doubles in 13 matches this season.
• With only a season and a half of match action under her belt, Worthington's 931 career assists already ranks 17th all-time in Big Red history.
You've Been Served:
• Sophomore defensive specialist Kate Stration has been a force to be reckoned with from the serving line this season, leading the Ivy League and ranking 22nd in the nation in aces per set (0.51).
• She's tallied 18 aces in 13 matches this year, highlighted by five matches with double-digit aces. Her five aces against St. John's on Sept. 3 ranks seventh all-time in program history for a four-set match.
Leaving Their Marks:
• Seniors Madison Baptiste and Jillienne Bennett continue to leave their marks on the Cornell volleyball program, currently sitting on the Big Red's career record lists.
• Baptiste ranks 15th in Cornell history in career kills per set (2.75) and 19th in career points per set (3.03).
• Bennett ranks 16th in career attack percentage (.255).
Cornell in the Ivy Individual Rankings:
• Kate Stration leads the conference in service aces per set (0.51).
• Casey Justus ranks third in the conference in hitting percentage (.357).
• Sydney Moore ranks fourth in the conference in blocks per set (1.07).
• Emma Worthington ranks fifth in the conference in assists per set (9.33).
• Jackie Baker ranks seventh in the conference in digs per set (3.62).
Big Red Statistical Leaders:
• In kills – Madison Baptiste (127)
• In assists – Emma Worthington (420)
• In service aces – Kate Stration (18)
• In digs – Jackie Baker (163)
• In blocks – Sydney Moore (32.0)
• In hitting percentage – Casey Justus (.357)
The All-Tournament Team Trifecta:
• Senior middle blocker Casey Justus went-three-for-three in the All-Tournament Team department during nonconference action, having earned a spot on each of the Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel Volleyball Classic, Cornell Invitational, and Duke Classic All-Tournament teams.
All-Hail the All-Tournament:
• Emma Worthington added an MVP accolade to her resume this fall, being named the Most Valuable Player of UAlbany's Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel Volleyball Classic. Joanna Chang and Justus joined Worthington on the All-Tournament Team.
• Rookie libero Jackie Baker earned an All-Tournament team selection following the Cornell Invitational, while Jillienne Bennett did so at the Duke Classic.
The Landscape:
• The Big Red returns seven upperclassmen from the 2019 roster, including seniors Madison Baptiste, Jillienne Bennett, Avery Hanan, and Casey Justus and juniors Joanna Chang, Evan Reich, and Emma Worthington.
• Jillienne Bennett and Madison Baptiste both earned All-Ivy accolades in 2019, with Bennett being tabbed first team All-Ivy and Baptiste receiving second team distinction.
• The remaining 10 student-athletes on the Big Red roster are in their first season of competition with the Big Red. The sophomore class of Rylee Baptiste, Sydney Moore, Alexa Orent, and Kate Stration continues to make an impact this year after not having the opportunity to do so in 2020.
• Freshmen Jackie Baker, Megan Bickel, Camryn Carlo, Brooke Cooper, Sammie Engel, and Jordan Quinones add even more new faces to the Big Red roster.
• The 2021 Cornell roster features a sister act in senior outside hitter Madison Baptiste and sophomore setter Rylee Baptiste.
• Trudy Vande Berg is now in her seventh season as the Wendy Schaenen '79 Head Coach of Volleyball at Cornell, owning a 66-65 record.
• The 2017 Ivy League Coach of the Year, Vande Berg has helped establish the Big Red as a top-tier team in the Ivy League, as Cornell finished third in each of the last three seasons in which it competed from 2017-19.
• Vande Berg is assisted by associate head coach Caitlin Mahoney Hager and assistant coach Aaron DeKalb. Hager was promoted from assistant to associate head coach prior to the 2020 season after seven successful seasons on staff. DeKalb returns to the sideline in 2021 for his second coaching stint with the Big Red, having also been on staff with Vande Berg and Hager as an assistant from 2016-18. He most recently served as an assistant coach at the University of Mary for two seasons.
Up Next:
• The Cornell volleyball team will be in action at home at Newman Arena for three-straight weekends from Oct. 23 through Nov. 5-6. A match against Columbia on Saturday, Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. will open up the home stretch for the Big Red.
