ITHACA, N.Y. – With Ivy League play on the horizon, the Cornell volleyball team will finish-out its nonconference slate this weekend when it competes in the Duke Classic on Sept. 17-18, 2021 at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C.
Game Information:
Cornell vs. LIU
DATE/TIME: Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 at 12 p.m.
SITE: Cameron Indoor Stadium – Durham, N.C.
RECORDS: Cornell 3-3, 0-0 Ivy League / LIU 2-7, 0-0 NEC
BROADCAST: ACCNX (es.pn/39edL88)
STATS: goduke.com (goduke.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary)
GAME NOTES
Cornell vs. North Carolina Central
DATE/TIME: Friday, Sept. 17, 2021 at 5 p.m.
SITE: Cameron Indoor Stadium – Durham, N.C.
RECORDS: Cornell 3-3, 0-0 Ivy League / North Carolina Central 1-6, 0-0 MEAC
BROADCAST: ACCNX (es.pn/396g25z)
STATS: goduke.com (goduke.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary)
GAME NOTES
Cornell at Duke
DATE/TIME: Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021 at 2:30 p.m.
SITE: Cameron Indoor Stadium – Durham, N.C.
RECORDS: Cornell 3-3, 0-0 Ivy League / Duke 6-2, 0-0 ACC
BROADCAST: ACCNX (es.pn/3kjiWKJ)
STATS: goduke.com (goduke.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary)
GAME NOTES
What's on Tap:
• Cornell will open the Duke Classic with a pair of matches on Friday, Sept. 17, taking on LIU at 12 p.m. and North Carolina Central at 5 p.m. before going head-to-head with the host Blue Devils on Saturday, Sept. 18 at 2:30 p.m.
• All three games will be broadcast through the ACC Network Extra, which is the digital platform for the ACC Network hosted by the ESPN app. The platform is subscription-based, but can be accessed by logging in with your cable provider, provided that your cable package includes the ACC Network. Several popular streaming mediums, such as YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, and others lend access to the ACC Network Extra.
Last Time Out:
• The Big Red hosted its annual Cornell Invitational last weekend at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y., finishing second in the tournament to a strong UNLV squad. Cornell went 1-2 on the weekend, improving to 3-3 on the season.
• Cornell secured a 3-0 sweep of Bucknell (25-20, 25-23, 25-14) in the night cap on Saturday, with Casey Justus leading the way with 11 kills and a .476 hitting percentage. Joanna Chang also amassed double-digit kills, tallying 10 to go along with a .310 hitting percentage. Kate Stration led the way in the dig column with 11, while Emma Worthington amassed a match-high 30 assists and 10 digs for her fifth double-double in six matches.
• Freshman Camryn Carlo led the Big Red in blocking in the match, collecting three block assists. Having made her collegiate debut against Niagara earlier in the day, Carlo really settled in against the Bison, also notching eight kills on 15 attempts for a .467 hitting percentage. She proves to be a threat for Cornell at the net, having collected four block assists and a solo block against the Purple Eagles.
• The Big Red dropped matches to UNLV, 3-0 (23-25, 23-25, 14-25) and Niagara, 3-2 (25-18, 14-25, 23-25, 25-17, 8-15) last weekend.
• Cornell held its own against the Rebels, keeping things close in the first two sets. Sydney Moore and Emma Worthington turned in solid performances in the loss. Moore exuded efficiency while being a force to be reckoned with at the net, collecting a career-high seven kills on just 11 attempts for a .545 hitting percentage and adding three block assists.
• Emma Worthington made an impact for the Big Red in multiple facets of the game, recording a match-high 24 assists, team-high 14 digs, and match-high three service aces, while notching a solo block and block assist. Worthington also amassed a career-best 26 digs in Cornell's defeat to the Purple Eagles.
• Jackie Baker continues to be a mainstay at libero for the Big Red, notching a career-best 19 digs and career-high eight assists in Cornell's contest against Niagara.
All-Hail the All-Tournament:
• Casey Justus is now two-for-two in the All-Tournament team department, having earned a spot on both the Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel Volleyball Classic and Cornell Invitational All-Tournament Teams.
• Rookie libero Jackie Baker earned an All-Tournament team selection following the Cornell Invitational, while Joanna Chang did so at the Crowne Plaza Albany – The Desmond Hotel Volleyball Classic.
• 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.
A Walk Down Memory Lane:
• This weekend's contest between Trudy Vande Berg, the Wendy Schaenen '79 Head Coach of Volleyball, and Duke head coach Jolene Nagel holds significance for both coaches.
• Vande Berg coached under Nagel at Duke as an assistant coach from 2005-08 during a time of great success for the Blue Devils. Duke made the NCAA Tournament in each of Vande Berg's four years on staff, beginning a stretch of an ACC-record seven-consecutive trips to the postseason from 2005-11.
• Nagel, with Vande Berg's assistance, guided the Blue Devils to ACC Titles in 2006 and 2008.
• Just as Vande Berg has history with Duke, Nagel has history with Cornell. Cornell is where Nagel got her head coaching start, and her time at the helm of the Big Red marked the beginning of one of the most successful stints for the program.
• Nagel coached at Cornell from 1988-91, leading Cornell to its first Ivy League title in 1991, in what would be the first of three straight for the Big Red.
• Nagel amassed an 85-40 mark and a 23-5 conference record at Cornell, finishing first in the regular season Ivy League standings in three consecutive years from 1989-91, including two perfect 7-0 marks in conference play.
• Nagel's 85 wins and .680 winning percentage at Cornell ranks second behind Big Red women's volleyball pioneer and longtime head coach Andrea Dutcher.
A Tour of the Past:
• This isn't the first tournament for the Big Red this season that saw Vande Berg re-kindle her coaching connections via the Big Red's schedule, as last weekend Vande Berg squared off against UNLV and head coach Dawn Sullivan, as both coaches were on staff together as assistants at Iowa State from 2009-11.
• To take things one step further, Cornell associate head coach Caitlin Mahoney Hager played for the Cyclones during that time frame (from 2008-11) and was coached by both Sullivan and Vande Berg.
Happy Homecoming:
• This weekend's Duke Classic will be a homecoming of sorts for senior middle blocker Casey Justus, who hails from Raleigh, N.C.
About LIU:
• LIU boasts a 2-7 record through three weekends of play, most recently going 1-2 last weekend at Jacksonville's Dolphin Classic. The Sharks beat Jacksonville in five sets last weekend, while falling to South Florida, 3-1, and Furman, 3-2.
• A 2020 NCAA Tournament team, LIU was chosen to finish second in the NEC this season in the preseason poll after finishing second in the conference's regular season standings a year ago.
• Jovana Stekovic was named the Molten/Northeast Conference Co-Player of the Week on Tuesday after posting a career-high 24 kills in LIU's five set win over Jacksonville. She averaged 4.14 kills & 3.07 digs per set over three matches to earn All-Tournament team honors.
• Stekovic was the Sharks' second weekly award winner of the season, with Anastasia Scott being tabbed the Molten/Northeast Conference Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 7. The senior libero was named to the Temple Invitational All-Tournament team after averaging 6.1 digs per set over three matches in the tournament.
• Scott is the reigning NEC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Stekovic currently ranks third in the NEC in kills per set (3.74) and Scott sits third in digs per set (4.57).
The Series vs. LIU:
• LIU and Cornell have met six times to date, with LIU holding a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series.
• The two teams last met on Sept. 13, 2013 in LIU-Brooklyn's home tournament, with the Big Red falling to LIU-Brooklyn in five, 3-2.
• LIU has currently won four straight over the Big Red. The last time the Big Red registered a win over LIU was in 2003 when Cornell won in five, 3-2, to win the Albany Challenge title.
• This will be the first time the teams have squared off since the merging of LIU-Brooklyn and LIU-Post.
About North Carolina Central:
• North Carolina Central is currently 1-6 on the season and is entering the weekend on a five match losing streak.
• In the Eagles' last outing at the Aggie/Phoenix Volley for Unity tournament, NCCU was swept by North Carolina A&T on Sept. 10 and by UNC Asheville on Sept. 11.
• Senior middle blocker Ammaarah Williams earned a spot on the Preseason All-MEAC Team. A First Team All-MEAC performer in 2020, Williams currently ranks third in the MEAC in blocks per set (1.00) and fourth in hitting percentage (.333).
• Sophomore setter Lauren Janok became the first NCCU volleyball player to record a triple-double in the program's NCAA Division I era (starting in 2007-08) in the team's contest against UNC Greensboro on Sept. 7. Janok finished with 10 kills, 33 assists and 15 digs. All three match totals were new career-highs for Janok.
• Janok currently ranks third in the MEAC in assists per set (7.83).
• The Eagles were selected to finish sixth in the conference this season in the MEAC Preseason Poll.
The Series vs. North Carolina Central:
• Friday's contest will be the first meeting between Cornell and North Carolina Central.
About Duke:
• Duke is off to a 6-2 start this season. The Blue Devils opened the year on a 6-0 win streak and remains a perfect 4-0 this season at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke has knocked off Coastal Carolina (3-2), Iowa (3-2), Elon (3-0), Howard (3-1), Miami (OH) (3-0), and College of Charleston (3-0) so far this year.
• The Blue Devils enter this weekend's tournament on a two-game losing skid, falling to Michigan in five, 3-2, and North Carolina, 3-0, last weekend at the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Both the Tarheels and Wolverines are receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.
• Senior setter Alex Springate reached the 1,000-assist plateau in the team's contest against North Carolina. Her 1,001 career assists ranks 15th on Duke's career charts.
• Senior libero/defensive specialist Mackenzie Cole is a face to watch this season, being named to the 2021 Preseason All-ACC Team. She was the lone defensive specialist on the 18-person list. A 2021 captain, Cole was named to the All-ACC, AVCA All-East Coast Region, and All-ACC Academic teams.
• Duke was predicted to finish ninth among the 15 teams in the ACC this season in the conference's preseason poll.
The Series vs. Duke:
• The Big Red and Blue Devils have gone head-to-head twice to date, with each team owning one victory.
• Duke won the last meeting in 2005, 3-1, on Sept. 10, 2005 in Durham, N.C.
• Cornell's victory in the series dates all the way back to 1982, when the Big Red won, 2-0, on Oct. 22, 1982 in Philadelphia, Pa.
Cornell in the NCAA Rankings:
• Emma Worthington and Kate Stration rank in the top-50 nationally in several statistical categories. Through two weekends of play, Worthington sits 45th in all of Division I in assists per set (10.36) and Stration ranks 46th nationally in aces per set (0.50).
• As a team, the Big Red ranks 45th in all of Division I in digs per set (16.27)
A Team Effort:
• As a team, Cornell currently ranks among the top-three in the Ivy League in the following statistical categories:
• Tied for first in opponent hitting percentage (.165)
• Second in assists per set (12.09)
• Second in opponent kills per set (11.23)
• Third in kills per set (13.36)
• Third in service aces per set (1.77)
• Third in digs per set (16.27)
Cornell in the Ivy Rankings:
• Emma Worthington ranks second in the conference in assists per set (10.36), seventh in digs per set (3.77), and eighth in service aces per set (0.36).
• Casey Justus ranks second in the conference in hitting percentage (.354).
• Sydney Moore ranks fourth in the conference in blocks per set (0.95).
• Kate Stration ranks fourth in the conference in service aces per set (0.50).
• Madison Baptiste ranks sixth in the conference in kills per set (3.15) and seventh in points per set (3.45).
• Joanna Chang ranks seventh in the conference in kills per set (3.00) and eighth in points per set (3.39).
• Jackie Baker ranks eighth in the conference in service aces per set (0.36).
Big Red Statistical Leaders:
• In kills – Joanna Chang (66)
• In assists – Emma Worthington (228)
• In service aces – Kate Stration (11)
• In digs – Emma Worthington (83)
• In blocks – Sydney Moore (18.0)
• In hitting percentage – Casey Justus (.354)
A Look Back in Time:
• The Big Red posted its best season since 2006 in 2019 before the cancelation of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, notching a 17-6 overall record, including an 8-4 mark in Ivy League play.
• The team's 17 wins in 2019 were the most for Cornell since the team won 18 matches in 2006.
• Cornell finished third in the Ivy League in each of the last three seasons in which it competed (2017, 2018, 2019). 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 has been 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.
• Bennett ranked second on the Big Red in blocks and third in kills and points in 2019, while posting a .306 hitting percentage. She helped Cornell record the second-highest team single-season hitting percentage (.261) in program history.
• Madison Baptiste and Joanna Chang serve as dual threats, making an impact in the back row and at the net. Baptiste led the Big Red in kills (205), kills per set (2.81), and points per set (3.07), while ranking second in digs and digs per set in 2019.
• Chang owned Cornell's best receiving percentage in 2019, committing only 17 errors on 340 attempts, while ranking third on the team in digs per set and kills per set. She was a serving threat as well, sitting second on the team in aces and ranking third in the Ivy League in aces per set at the conclusion of the season.
• Setter Emma Worthington returns after serving as one of the team's two primary setters and leading the team in assists (511) in 2019.
• 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 64-60 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 Big Red will open the 2021 Ivy League slate when it takes on Columbia on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. in New York, N.Y.
