PRINCETON, N.J. – The Cornell volleyball team was bested by Princeton, 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-22), in its season finale on Saturday night at Dillon Gymnasium in Princeton, N.J.
Junior outside hitter Joanna Chang collected a team-high 11 kills in the contest while hitting .300. She also added eight digs and a solo block. Joining Chang on the offensive attack was Casey Justus (8), Jillienne Bennett (7), and Madison Baptiste (6), who, together with Chang's 11 kills, combined for 32 of the Big Red's 35 kills in the contest. Justus, Bennett, and M. Baptiste were a vital piece of the Cornell attack tonight, and all season long, and along with Avery Hanan, played the final contest of their collegiate careers against the Tigers tonight.
Megan Bickel led Cornell in the digs category, posting a match-high 20. Rylee Baptiste paced the Big Red in assists with 23.
With the score tied at 6-6 in the first set, Princeton would go on an 11-4 run, including scoring five-straight points with the score at 12-10 to open up a 17-10 lead. Cornell responded with three-consecutive points of its own to cut Princeton's lead to four, 17-13. A Justus kill and a pair of Princeton attack errors made up the Big Red's mini-run. The Tigers would quickly put an end to Cornell's success, however, ending the set on an 8-2 run of its own to take the first set, 25-15. Chang and Justus combined for nine of Cornell's 10 kills in the opening set, with Bickel wracking up 11 digs in the first set alone.
Princeton opened up a big lead in the second set as well, but Cornell showed grit and battled back on more than one occasion. The Tigers led by as many as 10, 16-6, but the Big Red scored five of the next six points to cut Princeton's lead to six, 17-11. Sydney Moore, Bennett, and Chang, all notched kills in the run. The Tigers followed Cornell's lead, however, putting together a 5-1 run to re-extend its lead to 22-13.
The Big Red wouldn't go down without a fight, going on an 8-2 run, and with the score at 24-15, fended off five set points to get as close as four, 24-20. A pair of M. Baptiste kills and a Bennett and Moore block highlighted the Big Red's comeback attempt. But after a Princeton timeout, the Tigers scored the next point to take the second set, 25-20.
Cornell came out strong in the third set, jumping out to a 5-2 lead. Princeton evened the playing field, scoring four of the next five points to knot things up, 6-6. M. Baptiste was determined to get the Big Red back on top, notching a pair of kills and a solo block over the following four points to re-establish a 9-7 lead for Cornell. At this point, both teams seemed to exchange points in pairs, with Princeton notching back-to-back points to even the score, and the Big Red responding with pairs of points of its own.
After a Bennett kill and a Princeton attack error, Cornell found itself ahead, 13-11. Princeton came alive, however, putting together a 5-1 run to claim a 16-14 advantage. The Big Red scored three of the next four to tie the set again, 17-17, with Chang and Baptiste each putting down a kill. In what was becoming traditional fashion for the match, the Tigers again went on a 5-1 run to take a 22-18 lead that, this time, Cornell was unable to recover from, as Princeton would go on to win the third set, 25-22, and the match, 3-0.
This concludes the 2021 Cornell volleyball season. The Big Red finishes the year with a 7-15 overall record and 3-11 mark in Ivy League play.
