ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell volleyball team kicks off its 2023 campaign this weekend at the Bucknell Invitational with three matches against Niagara, William & Mary, and the host Bison.

Game Info

Cornell vs. Niagara
SITE: Venerable Davis Gymnasium – Lewisburg, Pa.
DATE and TIME: Friday, Sept. 1 at 4 p.m.
RECORDS: Cornell (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League), Niagara (0-0, 0-0 MAAC)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads 12-2
BROADCAST: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: bucknellbison.com
 
Cornell vs. William & Mary
SITE: Venerable Davis Gymnasium – Lewisburg, Pa.
DATE and TIME: Saturday, Sept. 2 at 10 a.m.
RECORDS: (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League), William & Mary (0-0, 0-0 CAA)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads 3-1
BROADCAST: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: bucknellbison.com
 
Cornell vs. Bucknell
SITE: Venerable Davis Gymnasium – Lewisburg, Pa.
DATE and TIME: Saturday, Sept. 2 at 2 p.m.
RECORDS: Cornell (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League), Bucknell (0-0, 0-0 Patriot)
SERIES RECORD: Cornell leads 15-2
BROADCAST: ESPN+
LIVE STATS: bucknellbison.com
 
About the Big Red
Cornell is coming off a 6-17 season in 2022, including a 4-10 record in the Ivy League to finish tied for fifth in the conference. The team started its 2022 campaign strong with a 2-1 record before losing 16 out of its last 20 matches.
 
The Big Red returns 16 players to the court from last season, including junior Jackie Baker, who led the team in digs with 214 across 64 sets played. Sophomore Eliza Konvicka also returns to East Hill after leading the team in kills (225) and points (265) last season.
 
Ivy League Preseason Poll
Cornell was chosen to finish sixth in the 2023 Ivy League preseason poll. Yale topped the list with 125 points and 13 first-place votes with Princeton coming in second with 111 points and the remaining three first-place votes. Brown (97), Dartmouth (76) and Harvard (65) rounded out the top five. The Big Red's 42 points placed it ahead of Columbia (38) and Penn (22). The Big Red has finished in the top three of the final standings in three of the past four seasons.
 
Head Coach Trudy Vande Berg
The 2023 campaign marks Vande Berg's ninth year as The Wendy Schaenen '79 Head Coach of Volleyball. It is her eighth official season, as the 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since coming to Cornell in 2015, the team has finished in the top three of the Ivy League regular season standings three times (2017-19). 
 
Vs. Niagara

• Friday's match between the Big Red and Purple Eagles will be the 15th all-time meeting.
• The Big Red last faced off against Niagara in the Cornell Invitational on Sept. 11, 2021. The Purple Eagles won in five sets.
• Niagara went 10-20 overall and 7-11 in the MAAC in 2022.
• The Purple Eagles opened its 2023 season at the Delaware Tournament, losing all three matches to Loyola (Md.) (3-1), host Delaware (3-0), and Robert Morris (3-1). Sophomore Kinga Wronska led the Purple Eagles with 22 kills on the weekend, while junior Jenna Vogen and freshman Payton Lee each followed with 15 each. As a team, the Purple Eagles averaged 8.2 kills/set and 12.2 digs/set. 

 
Vs. William and Mary

• Saturday's 10 a.m. match between the Big Red and Tribe will be the fifth all-time meeting.
• Cornell last faced off against William & Mary at the West Point Invitational on Sept. 5, 2015. The Big Red won in five sets.
• William & Mary went 12-14 overall and 6-10 in the CAA in 2022.
• The Tribe opened its 2023 season at the Mountaineer Classic. After starting the weekend with a 3-0 loss to host App State, William & Mary defeated Tennessee Tech (3-2) and Bellarmine (3-1). Taylor Burnell was the leader on the weekend for the Tribe with 27 kills while Sarah Callander followed with 23. As a team, the Tribe averaged 10.5 kills/set and 11.8 digs/set. 

 
At Bucknell

• Saturday's 2 p.m. match between the Big Red and Bison will be the 18th all-time meeting.
• Cornell last battled with Bucknell at the Cornell Invitational on Sept. 11, 2021. The Big Red won in straight sets.
• Bucknell went 15-11 overall and 8-8 in the Patriot League in 2022.
• Bucknell opened its 2023 season at the Liberty Tournament. The Bison lost to Stony Brook (3-0) and host Liberty (3-0) before beating Gardner-Webb (3-1) to finish off the weekend. Sophomore Bri Frazilus led the Bison with 28 kills on the weekend, followed by Catherine Jamison (22). As a team, the Bison averaged 11.7 kills/set and 16.8 digs/set. 

 
Up Next
After this weekend, the Big Red opens its 2023 home schedule, taking on Syracuse at Newman Arena on Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 7:00 p.m. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.