ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell volleyball team will close out its five-match home stand when it welcomes Dartmouth on Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. and Harvard on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. for its final two home contests of the season at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.
The Big Red's match against Harvard on Saturday will serve as Cornell's senior day, as the team will take time to celebrate the careers of Madison Baptiste, Jillienne Bennett, Avery Hanan, and Casey Justus and all that they have contributed to the program during their time in a Cornell uniform.
Match Information:
Cornell vs. Dartmouth
DATE/TIME: Friday, Nov. 5, 2021 at 7 p.m.
SITE: Newman Arena – Ithaca, N.Y.
RECORDS: Cornell 6-12, 2-8 Ivy League / Dartmouth 12-7, 4-6 Ivy League
BROADCAST: ESPN+ (es.pn/3w3US2q)
STATS: cornellbigred.com (cornellbigred.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary)
GAME NOTES
Cornell vs. Harvard
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021 at 5 p.m.
SITE: Newman Arena – Ithaca, N.Y.
RECORDS: Cornell 6-12, 2-8 Ivy League / Harvard 9-10, 6-4 Ivy League
BROADCAST: ESPN+ (es.pn/3CQ18NK)
STATS: cornellbigred.com (cornellbigred.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary)
GAME NOTES
What's on Tap:
• The Cornell volleyball team will play its final two home matches of the season against Dartmouth on Friday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. and Harvard on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 5 p.m. at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y., closing out the team's five-match home stand.
• Saturday's match against Harvard will serve as Cornell's senior day, as time will be taken to celebrate the careers of Madison Baptiste, Jillienne Bennett, Avery Hanan, and Casey Justus and all that they have contributed to the program over the past four years.
• 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:
• Cornell fell in straight sets to Yale, 3-0 (25-21, 25-15, 25-20), and league-leading Brown, 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-15), at Newman Arena last weekend.
• Jillienne Bennett was a consistent presence for the Big Red in its contests against the Bulldogs and Bears, notching nine kills in both contests, a mark which was the team-high against Yale, and averaging a .361 hitting percentage over the two matches.
• Despite falling to Yale, the Big Red's blocking game was a strong point in the match, as Cornell out-blocked the Bulldogs 11.0 to 4.0 on the match. Camryn Carlo and Casey Justus led the blocking brigade, with Carlo collecting a career-high six blocks (one solo, five assisted) and Justus notching a season-high five blocks to go along with seven kills.
• Carlo and Justus were just two of six Big Red student-athletes with multiple blocks in the match, as Jillienne Bennett and Emma Worthington each notched three, while Madison Baptiste and Avery Hanan put down a pair apiece.
• Avery Hanan stole the spotlight in Cornell's match against Brown, putting together her best match of the year with a match-high and season-best 13 kills to go along with a .303 hitting percentage. Hanan also added a team-high two blocks and a pair of digs on the match.
• Freshman defensive specialist Megan Bickel got the starting nod in both of Cornell's contests last weekend, thriving in various roles to help the team in whatever way she could. After starting at the defensive specialist position for the first two sets against Yale, Bickel put on the libero jersey for the first time of her collegiate career for the third set. She then started and played the entirety of the contest at libero against Brown, fitting in seamlessly and notching nine digs and 15 receptions with no errors.
Thank You, Seniors:
• Saturday's match will be the final home contest for Cornell seniors Madison Baptiste, Jillienne Bennett, Avery Hanan, and Casey Justus.
• As a class, they helped the Big Red secure back-to-back third place finishes in the Ivy League in 2018 and 2019 and help Cornell record its most wins in 2019 (17) since the 2006 campaign.
About Dartmouth:
• Dartmouth enters Friday's match with momentum, coming off of a weekend sweep of Penn, 3-0 (25-20, 25-13, 25-21), and Princeton, 3-2 (26-24, 25-14, 14-25, 14-25, 16-14), last weekend.
• Sophomore Ellie Blain came up big in Dartmouth's five-set upset of Princeton, notching a kill and an ace with the fifth set tied at 14 to give the Big Green the win. Blain finished the contest with 13 kills, while teammate Taite Ryan led the Big Green with 14 kills and a personal-best 24 digs for her third double-double of the season.
• Dartmouth has now won four of its last five matches heading into Friday's battle. The team sits at 12-7 overall and 4-6 in Ivy League action, currently good for fifth in the conference.
• Coming off of a collegiate-best 32 dig performance against the Tigers, freshman libero Emma Engstrom leads the conference and ranks 38th in all of Division I in digs per set (4.81). She is a key reason why Dartmouth leads the Ivy League and ranks 12th nationally as a team in digs per set (17.26).
• Amelia Gibbs ranks second in the Ivy League and 62nd in the nation in hitting percentage (.358).
• Ellie Blain sits among the top-five of the conference in a pair of statistical categories, including kills per set (fourth - 3.57) and points per set (fifth – 3.97).
The Series vs. Dartmouth:
• The Big Red owns a commanding 45-20 series advantage over Dartmouth dating back to 1981, but the Big Green has won the last two matchups between the two schools.
• Dartmouth's back-to-back victories in the series have both come at Leede Arena in Hanover, N.H., with the most recent being a 3-1 (25-19, 25-14, 23-25, 25-20) win over Cornell earlier this season on Oct. 16.
• Cornell will look to utilize its home court advantage, as it has won four-straight against Dartmouth at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.
About Harvard:
• Harvard split its two contests last weekend, notching a big sweep of Princeton, 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-20), for the Crimson's first straight-set victory of the year before dropping a five-set battle to Penn, 3-2 (25-18, 25-17, 17-25, 17-25, 18-16).
• The Crimson sit in sole possession of fourth place in the Ivy League with a 6-4 conference and 9-10 overall record, but sit just one match back of Yale and Princeton, who are currently tied for second at 7-3.
• Led by Ashley Wang (0.44) and Rocky Aguirre (0.39), who rank second and third, respectively, in the conference in aces per set, the Crimson rank second in the Ivy League and 46th nationally as a team in aces per set.
• Jaime Rao and Katie Vorhies both sit among the top-10 in the Ivy League in kills per set and points per set, as the pair is tied for eighth in the conference in kills per set (2.98) and ranks eighth (3.35) and 10th (3.25), respectively, in points per set.
• The duo of Ariana White (1.00) and Olivia Cooper (0.96) sits fifth and sixth, respectively, in the conference in blocks per set
• As a team, Harvard leads the conference in opponent digs per set, limiting its opponents to a league-low 13.42 digs per set.
The Series vs. Harvard:
• Cornell holds the series advantage over Harvard, leading 42-29 going all the way back to 1977.
• The Big Red has won five of the last six matchups against the Crimson, but Harvard came out on top in the two teams' most recent meeting earlier this season, defeating Cornell, 3-1 (25-22, 25-20, 16-25, 25-19), on Oct. 15 in Cambridge, Mass.
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 (45.0) and hitting percentage (.335) while ranking second on the team in kills (160).
• Her hitting percentage of .335 so far this season sits fifth in the Ivy League, as well as eighth in Cornell history for a single season.
• In conference play, Justus is averaging 10.1 kills and 2.90 blocks per match while hitting .339.
Set for Success:
• With under two seasons of match action under her belt, Worthington's 1,022 career assists already ranks 16th 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 (1.08) and eighth in hitting percentage (.319).
• She's become impactful for the Big Red at middle blocker, sitting tied for first on the team in blocks (29.0) and second in hitting percentage (.319) 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 (0.45).
• She's tallied 19 aces so far 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.
• Stration is one of five Big Red student-athletes with double-digit aces this season alongside Jackie Baker (16), Emma Worthington (16), Joanna Chang (12), and Madison Baptiste (10).
By the Numbers:
• 9 – Emma Worthington has posted nine dig-assist double-doubles in 17 matches played this season.
• 10 – Madison Baptiste had amassed double-digit kills in 10 out of 18 matches this season, including posting four dig-assist double-doubles.
• 13 – Jackie Baker has posted double-digit digs in 13 of Cornell's 18 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 11th in career attack percentage (.264).
• Baptiste ranks 15th in Cornell history in career kills per set (2.76) and 18th in career points per set (3.05).
Cornell in the Ivy Individual Rankings:
• Kate Stration ranks first in the conference in service aces per set (0.45).
• Camryn Carlo ranks third in the conference in blocks per set (1.08) and eighth in hitting percentage (.319).
• Casey Justus ranks fifth in the conference in hitting percentage (.335).
• Emma Worthington ranks fifth in the conference in assists per set (8.66).
• Jackie Baker ranks sixth in the conference in digs per set (3.61).
• Sydney Moore ranks eighth in the conference in blocks per set (0.94).
• Madison Baptiste ranks ninth in the conference in points per set (3.28).
Big Red Statistical Leaders:
• In kills – Madison Baptiste (177)
• In assists – Emma Worthington (511)
• In service aces – Kate Stration (19)
• In digs – Jackie Baker (220)
• In blocks – Casey Justus (45.0)
• In hitting percentage – Casey Justus (.335)
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 67-69 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.
Up Next:
• The Cornell volleyball team will play its final two matches of the 2021 season at Penn on Friday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. and Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 5 p.m.
