ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell volleyball team will play its final two matches of the 2021 season at Penn on Friday at 7 p.m. in Philadelphia and Princeton on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Princeton, N.J.
Match Information:
Cornell at Penn
DATE/TIME: Friday, Nov. 12, 2021 at 7 p.m.
SITE: The Palestra – Philadelphia, Pa.
RECORDS: Cornell 7-13, 3-9 Ivy League / Penn 6-15, 3-9 Ivy League
BROADCAST: ESPN+ (es.pn/30iwjDx)
STATS: pennathletics.com (bit.ly/3CeZGmZ)
Cornell at Princeton
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021 at 5 p.m.
SITE: Dillon Gymnasium – Princeton, N.J.
RECORDS: Cornell 7-13, 3-9 Ivy League / Princeton 14-6, 8-4 Ivy League
BROADCAST: ESPN+ (es.pn/3wHJA4s)
STATS: cornellbigred.com (bit.ly/2mI5i8U)
What's on Tap:
• The Cornell volleyball team will finish out its 2021-22 season when it plays its final two matches of the year at Penn on Friday at 7 p.m. and Princeton on Saturday at 5 p.m.
• This weekend's matches will be broadcast on ESPN+, just as every one of Cornell's home matches and Ivy League contests have been for the entirety 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:
• Cornell split its pair of contests a weekend ago, falling to Dartmouth, 3-1 (25-18, 25-20, 27-29, 25-22), before sweeping Harvard, 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-21), and sending seniors Madison Baptiste, Jillienne Bennett, Avery Hanan, and Casey Justus out in style on Senior Day in what was the last match of their careers at Newman Arena.
• The seniors knew it was their day in the spotlight and took advantage of it, combining for 25 of Cornell's 35 kills in the contest, with Justus and Bennett notching seven apiece and Hanan and Baptiste each posting six. Add junior Joanna Chang's seven kills into the mix, and the group of five accounted for 32 of Cornell's 35 kills.
• The same group of five also notched 10 of Cornell's 12 blocks in the win, with Justus pacing the Big Red with four and sophomore Sydney Moore putting down the remaining two.
• It was Cornell's serving game that absolutely put Harvard away. The Crimson couldn't handle the Big Red serve, as Cornell poured in 11 aces to Harvard's one.
• Freshman Megan Bickel was a huge reason for this on the defensive end, as Harvard mistakenly served to her 40 times and Bickel remained perfect with no errors. The freshman collected 64 receptions over the weekend between the two matches with just one error.
• In just her second and third starts at libero, Bickel looked like a veteran, collecting 32 digs and nine assists over Cornell's two weekend contests, including a team-high and career-best 23 digs in the Big Red's match against Dartmouth on Friday.
About Penn:
• Penn enters Friday's contest having dropped seven of its last eight matches, with the lone victory in that stretch being a big, 3-2, upset victory over Harvard on Oct. 30.
• The Quakers fell to Yale, 3-2, and 2021 Ivy League Champion Brown, 3-0, last weekend, slipping to 6-15 overall and 3-9 in conference play.
• Penn and Cornell are currently tied for sixth in the conference, as the Big Red also holds a 3-9 Ivy League mark heading into Friday.
• Autumn Leak has been Penn's biggest offensive weapon this season, ranking among the top-five in the Ivy League in kills per set (third – 3.71) and points per set (fourth – 3.94).
• The setting duo of Sydney Ormiston (8.33) and Kylie Kulinski (6.33) ranks sixth and seventh, respectively, in the conference in assists per set.
• Caroline Douglas sits eighth in the Ivy League in digs per set (3.32), while Daniela Fornaciari ranks ninth in blocks per set (0.92).
The Series vs. Penn:
• Penn leads the all-time series, 45-32, between the two teams, but the Big Red has chipped away at the deficit as of late, with the series being tied, 18-18, since 2000.
• Cornell swept the Quakers in 2019, and after winning the first matchup between the two teams, 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-19), earlier this season on Oct. 9, the Big Red will go for the season sweep of Penn for the second-straight year.
• As a team, the Big Red hit an outstanding .443 on the night, not only marking the team's best hitting percentage this season, but also posting the highest team hitting percentage in a match in the Ivy League at that point in the season.
• It was a balanced attack that gave Cornell the victory, with the quartet of Casey Justus (14), Jillienne Bennett (13), Camryn Carlo (10), and Madison Baptiste (10) combining for 47 of the Big Red's 52 kills.
About Princeton:
• Princeton won its most recent contest on Nov. 6 when it swept Yale, 3-0, which ended a three-game losing streak for the Tigers.
• Prior to losing matches to Harvard, 3-0, Dartmouth, 3-2, and Brown, 3-0, Princeton was in the hunt for the conference crown at 7-1 in league action. The Tigers now sit at 8-4 in conference play and 14-6 overall and are tied with Yale for second in the Ivy League at 8-4.
• Setter Lindsey Kelly has been a setting machine this season, ranking fifth in the nation and leading the Ivy League in assists per set (11.43). She is a key reason why Princeton ranks 15th in all of Division I as a team in assists per set (13.03).
• Julia Schner leads the Ivy League in blocks per set (1.19). She also ranks eighth in the conference in hitting percentage (.315). Teammates Olivia Schewe (.337) and Avery Luoma (.317) are also among the best in the conference in hitting percentage, sitting fourth and seventh, respectively.
• Elena Montgomery ranks second in the Ivy League in both kills per set (3.93) and points per set (4.26).
• Avery Luoma ranks among the top-10 in the conference in an array of categories, including points per set (sixth - 3.75), kills per set (seventh – 3.11), and hitting percentage (seventh)
The Series vs. Princeton:
• Princeton holds a 58-21 series advantage over the Big Red dating back to 1974.
• The Tigers have won the last two meetings between the teams, including 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 34-32) sweep of the Big Red earlier this season on Oct. 8.
• Casey Justus was brilliant in the loss, collecting a team-high and then-career-best 15 kills on 24 attempts for a .542 hitting percentage.
• Madison Baptiste joined Justus in the double-digit kills category with 12, as the senior duo combined for 27 of Cornell's 43 kills.
Ivy League Rookie of the Week:
• After helping guide the Big Red to a 3-2 victory (25-23, 25-18, 22-25, 22-25, 15-10) over Columbia on Oct. 23, sophomore setter Rylee Baptiste was named the Ivy League's Rookie of the Week on Oct. 25.
• In just her second-career start, Baptiste posted a match-high and career-best 51 assists in the win, more than Columbia recorded as a team in the match (47).
• Her assist total is tied for fourth in the conference for a five-set match this season and tied for 10th in the Ivy League among all matches.
• The award marks the first weekly honor for the Big Red this season.
Justus For All:
• Casey Justus is putting together a senior season to be proud of, currently leading the Big Red in blocks (52.0) and hitting percentage (.330) while ranking second on the team in kills (174).
• Her hitting percentage of .330 so far this season sits fifth in the Ivy League, as well as eighth in Cornell history for a single season.
Set for Success:
• With just under two seasons of match action under her belt, Emma Worthington's 1,067 career assists already ranks 14th all-time in Big Red history.
• She is just the 16th player in Cornell volleyball history to surpass the 1,000-career assists plateau.
Settling In:
• Freshman middle blocker Camryn Carlo has settled in to her role on the team, currently sitting third in the Ivy League in blocks per set (1.05) and sixth in hitting percentage (.329).
• She's become impactful for the Big Red at middle blocker, sitting second on the team in blocks (29.0) and hitting percentage (.317) in Ivy League action.
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 in aces per set (0.48).
• She's tallied 23 aces so far this year, highlighted by six matches with double-digit aces, including three against Dartmouth last Friday. Her five aces against St. John's on Sept. 3 ranks seventh all-time in program history for a four-set match.
• Stration is one of five Big Red student-athletes with double-digit aces this season alongside Emma Worthington (19) Jackie Baker (16), Joanna Chang (16), and Madison Baptiste (11).
By the Numbers:
• 10 – Emma Worthington has posted 10 dig-assist double-doubles in 20 matches played this season.
• 10 – Madison Baptiste had amassed double-digit kills in 10 out of 20 matches this season, including posting four dig-assist double-doubles.
• 14 – Jackie Baker has posted double-digit digs in 14 of Cornell's 20 matches this season, highlighted by a career-best 20-dig performance against Columbia on Oct. 23. She ranks sixth in the Ivy League in digs per set (3.61).
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.
• Bennett ranks 13th in career attack percentage (.263).
• Baptiste ranks 15th in Cornell history in career kills per set (2.72) and 19th in career points per set (3.01).
Cornell in the Ivy Individual Rankings:
• Kate Stration ranks first in the conference in service aces per set (0.48).
• Camryn Carlo ranks third in the conference in blocks per set (1.05) and sixth in hitting percentage (.329).
• Casey Justus ranks fifth in the conference in hitting percentage (.330).
• Emma Worthington ranks fifth in the conference in assists per set (8.42).
• Sydney Moore ranks fifth in the conference in blocks per set (1.00).
• Jackie Baker ranks sixth in the conference in digs per set (3.61).
Big Red Statistical Leaders:
• In kills – Madison Baptiste (184)
• In assists – Emma Worthington (556)
• In service aces – Kate Stration (23)
• In digs – Jackie Baker (231)
• In blocks – Casey Justus (52.0)
• In hitting percentage – Casey Justus (.330)
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.
• Trudy Vande Berg is now in her seventh season as the Wendy Schaenen '79 Head Coach of Volleyball at Cornell, owning a 68-70 record.
• The 2017 Ivy League Coach of the Year, Vande Berg helped Cornell finish third in the conference in three-straight seasons 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.
