ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell volleyball team will be in action at Newman Arena for the first time since the Cornell Invitational in mid-September when it welcomes Princeton on Friday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. and Penn on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. to East Hill in Ithaca, N.Y. for a pair of Ivy League tilts.
Game Information:
Cornell vs. Princeton
DATE/TIME: Friday, Oct. 8, 2021 at 7 p.m.
SITE: Newman Arena – Ithaca, N.Y.
RECORDS: Cornell 4-7, 0-3 Ivy League / Princeton 9-2, 3-0 Ivy League
BROADCAST: ESPN+ (es.pn/3Bjee5y)
STATS: cornellbigred.com (cornellbigred.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary)
GAME NOTES
Cornell vs. Penn
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021 at 5 p.m.
SITE: Newman Arena – Ithaca, N.Y.
RECORDS: Cornell 4-7, 0-3 Ivy League / Penn 4-8, 1-2 Ivy League
BROADCAST: ESPN+ (es.pn/2YpxlMU)
STATS: cornellbigred.com (cornellbigred.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary)
GAME NOTES
What's on Tap:
• After dropping a pair of Ivy League matches to Brown, 3-1, and Yale, 3-0, last weekend, the Cornell volleyball team will look to get back on track when it hosts Princeton on Friday, Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. and Penn on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.
• The Big Red will look to harness its home court advantage to snap a four-game losing skid and capture its first Ivy League victory of the season.
• This weekend's contests will be the first home matches for Cornell since the team's annual Cornell Invitational on Sept. 10-11. After a pair of Ivy League road contests at Harvard and Dartmouth next weekend, the Big Red will plant its roots in Newman Arena for the following three weekends, welcoming Columbia on Oct. 23, Yale and Brown on Oct. 29-30, and Dartmouth and Harvard on Nov. 5-6.
• 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:
• Brown and Yale held the upper hand over the Big Red last weekend, as the Bears defeated Cornell, 3-1 (25-20, 21-25, 18-25, 15-25), on Friday in Providence, R.I. and the Bulldogs swept the Big Red, 3-0 (22-25, 19-25, 22-25), on Saturday in New Haven, Conn.
• Cornell's play at the net continues to pose a threat, as the Big Red out-blocked Brown and Yale 17.0 to 8.0 on the weekend, including 7.0 to 0.0 against Yale. Spearheaded by Sydney Moore's team-high 32.0 blocks on the season, Cornell has now out-blocked its opponent in five-straight matches.
• Casey Justus had herself a weekend, averaging 11.5 points, 10.0 kills, and 3.0 blocks per match while hitting an impressive .388. She paced Cornell in kills, hitting percentage, and points in both of the Big Red's matches. Justus' hitting percentage against Yale on Saturday was through the roof, as she collected 10 kills on 19 attempts for a match-high .526 hitting percentage, while also adding a team-high four blocks. This included a first set that saw Justus notch five kills and hit .714.
• Avery Hanan and Jillienne Bennett were also efficient on the attack against Yale, hitting .320 with nine kills and .353 with seven kills, respectively, and helping the Big Red out-hit the Bulldogs, .273 - .266.
• Emma Worthington (20 assists, 14 digs) and Madison Baptiste (15 digs, 10 kills) both notched double-doubles against Brown, with Worthington recording the team-high in assists for the match and M. Baptiste notching team-bests in both digs and kills. This marked Worthington's eighth double-double in Cornell's 11 matches this season and M. Baptiste's second-straight double-double.
• Camryn Carlo made an impact for the Big Red when she entered the match in the third set against Brown, finishing the match as one of four student-athletes with four block assists alongside Jillienne Bennett, Avery Hanan, and Sydney Moore. Carlo worked her way into the starting line-up against Yale, registering three more blocks, including the lone solo block of the match.
• Jackie Baker and Rylee Baptiste also had noteworthy performances against the Bears. Baker tallied 14 digs and collected 19 receptions with zero errors. R. Baptiste secured double-digit assists with a career-high 14 and was just one dig away from a double-double with nine.
About Princeton:
• 2019 Ivy League Co-Regular Season Champion and NCAA Qualifier Princeton currently owns a 9-2 overall record and a 3-0 conference record after recording wins over Penn (3-0) on Sept. 24, Dartmouth (3-0) on Oct. 1, and Harvard (3-2) on Oct. 2. They are one of two Ivy League teams to win its first three conference matches alongside Brown.
• Princeton enters Friday's contest on an eight-match winning streak.
• The Tigers hold the highest RPI among its Ivy League counterparts, coming in at No. 54. The next highest-ranked team is Brown at No. 124.
• Princeton was predicted to finish second in the Ivy League this season in the Preseason Media Poll to Yale, receiving six first place votes and trailing the Bulldogs (122) by just five points with 117.
• Julia Schner is the reigning Ivy League Player of the Week, notching 17 kills on a .433 hitting percentage and adding 15 total blocks in the Tigers' two wins last weekend.
• Schner's 1.31 blocks per set leads the Ivy League and ranks 34th nationally, and her 51 total blocks on the season leads the conference as well. Schner's season hitting percentage of .365 sits fourth in the league.
• Setter Lindsey Kelly sits atop the Ivy League in assists per set (11.03), a mark which ranks 12th in all of Division I. She is an integral reason why the Tigers lead the conference and rank 25th in the nation as a team in assists per set (12.74).
• Princeton leads the Ivy League in a variety of statistical categories as a team, including hitting percentage (.247), assists per set (12.74), kills per set (13.77), blocks per set (2.31), opponent hitting percentage (.163), and opponent kills per set (11.44).
• The Tiger trio of Schner (.365), Avery Luoma (.352), and Olivia Schewe (.341) ranks fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively, in the conference in hitting percentage.
• Luoma also ranks fifth in the league in kills per set (3.33), fifth in points per set (4.03), and seventh in blocks per set (0.90).
• Elena Montgomery sits third in the conference in points per set (4.15) and fourth in kills per set (3.77).
The Series vs. Princeton:
• Princeton holds a 57-21 series advantage over the Big Red dating back to 1974.
• The two teams split its pair of meetings in 2019, with both squads picking up road victories.
• Cornell clinched its first win over Princeton since 2017 on Oct. 5, 2019, beating the Tigers on its home court, 3-1 (26-24, 14-25, 28-26, 25-21). Jillienne Bennett registered a team-high 15 kills in the win to go along with a .379 hitting percentage, one solo block, and one block assist. Avery Hanan (11) and Madison Baptiste (10) also notched double-digit kills.
• Princeton won the last meeting between the two schools on Nov. 2, 2019, downing Cornell in a five-set heartbreaker, 3-2 (19-25, 22-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-12). Madison Baptiste registered a match-high and career-best 23 kills on a .370 hitting percentage while adding 11 digs in the loss.
About Penn:
• Heading into Friday's contests, the Quakers sit at 4-8 on the season and 1-2 in conference play, having secured its first Ivy League victory of the season last weekend against Dartmouth in a five set thriller, 3-2 (17-25, 25-22, 25-17, 16-25, 15-13) at the Palestra in Philadelphia.
• Senior Daniela Fornaciari was clutch in Penn's win over the Big Green, tallying 12 kills on a .417 hitting percentage and racking up 11 blocks (four solo, seven assisted), a mark which ranks eighth all-time in program history for a single match.
• Fornaciari currently ranks fifth in the Ivy League in blocks per set (1.05) and eighth in hitting percentage (.323).
• Audrey Leak has been another key performer for the Quakers this season, leading the conference and ranking 35th in all of Division I in kills per set (4.16).
• Leak also leads the Ivy League in points per set (4.44), a number which sits 61st nationally.
• Sydney Ormiston ranks sixth in the conference in assists per set (8.36), Caroline Douglas sits sixth in digs per set (4.02), and Emerson Flornes ranks seventh in blocks per set (0.90).
• Audrey Leak (Player of the Week) and Sydney Ormiston (Rookie of the Week) swept the Ivy League weekly awards on Sept. 7 after the Quakers opened the season 3-0 at the team's Sheraton University City Invitational.
• Penn was chosen to finish eighth in the Ivy League this season in the Preseason Media Poll.
The Series vs. Penn:
• Penn leads the all-time series, 45-31, between the two teams, but the Big Red has chipped away at the deficit as of late, with the Quakers holding a slim 18-17 advantage since 2000.
• Cornell swept the Quakers in 2019, erasing a two-set deficit at the Palestra on Oct. 4, 2019, to come back and beat Penn, 3-2 (15-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-10). The Big Red were led in the win by Jillienne Bennett and Avery Hanan, who registered 14 and 10 kills, respectively.
• In the two teams' last meeting, the Big Red made quick work of Penn at Newman Arena on Nov. 2, 2019, downing the Quakers, 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-17).
Block Party:
• Cornell's effectiveness on the block continues to get stronger as the season progresses, as the Big Red has out-blocked its opponent in each of the last five matches in which it has played.
• Sydney Moore has led the charge, sitting fourth in the Ivy League in blocks per set (1.07).
• On the other side of the net, the Big Red is also holding its opponents to a league-best 1.87 blocks per set.
Dig Big Red:
• As a team, the Big Red ranks second in the Ivy League and 37th in all of Division I in digs per set (16.38).
• Jackie Baker (3.41) and Emma Worthington (3.28) have put their defensive skills on display, ranking eighth and 10th in the conference, respectively, in digs per set.
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 four 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 11 matches.
• With only a season and a half of match action under her belt, Worthington's 851 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 28th in the nation in aces per set (0.50).
• She's tallied 16 aces in 11 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.
• Emma Worthington also ranks among the top-10 in the Ivy League in aces per set, coming in at No. 9 (.33).
Leaving Their Marks:
• Seniors Madison Baptiste and Jillienne Bennett continue to leave their marks on the Cornell volleyball program, each already ranking among the Big Red's career record lists.
• Based on her numbers following the 2019 season, Baptiste ranks 15th in Cornell history in career kills per set (2.68), 19th in career digs per set (2.56), and 19th in career points per set (2.92).
• Bennett ranks 11th in career attack percentage (.264).
Cornell in the Ivy Individual Rankings:
• Kate Stration leads the conference in service aces per set (0.50).
• Sydney Moore ranks fourth in the conference in blocks per set (1.07).
• Emma Worthington ranks fifth in the conference in assists per set (8.72), ninth in service aces per set (0.33), and 10th in digs per set (3.28).
• Jackie Baker ranks eighth in the conference in digs per set (3.41).
• Casey Justus ranks ninth in the conference in hitting percentage (.314).
Big Red Statistical Leaders:
• In kills – Madison Baptiste (105)
• In assists – Emma Worthington (340)
• In service aces – Kate Stration (16)
• In digs – Jackie Baker (133)
• In blocks – Sydney Moore (32.0)
• In hitting percentage – Casey Justus (.314)
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 Ivy Outlook:
• Cornell finished third in the Ivy League in each of the last three seasons in which it competed, including in 2019 when it posted an 8-4 record in conference play. This stretch marked the best seasons for the Big Red since the team won three conference titles followed by a second place finish from 2003-06.
• Cornell was selected to finish third once again in 2021, per the Ivy League Preseason Poll. 2019 Ivy League co-champions Yale and Princeton were predicted to be the top-two teams in the league in 2021, with Yale being chosen as the preseason favorite to win the conference and Princeton being chosen second.
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 will look 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 fresh 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 65-64 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 has finished third in each of the last three seasons in which it has 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 hit the road for a pair of matches at Harvard on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. and Dartmouth on Oct. 16 at 5 p.m. This will be the last time the Big Red will be away from Newman Arena until the final weekend of Ivy League play, as Cornell will be home for three straight weekends from Oct. 23 through Nov. 5-6.
