ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell women's volleyball will be traveling this weekend, taking on two Ivy League match ups. Big Red will face Princeton on Friday, October 17th at 7 p.m. followed by taking on Penn on Saturday, the 18th at 5 p.m.
Season So Far (10-5, 5-0 Ivy)
The Big Red is coming off a hot weekend after beating both Brown and Yale on their home turf to continue their unbeaten league streak. Cornell overcame Brown in 4 sets and Yale in 3, featuring a third set going to a nail-biting final match score of 30-28. The squad is 10-5 so far this season and 5-0 in league match ups.
On the offense, senior outside and right side hitter, Eliza Konvicka (#14) is leading in kills both for her team and in the Ivy League with 204 so far this season, averaging 4.00 per set and a strong .277 hitting percentage. She was named Ivy League Player of the Week this week which you can read more about here. Konvicka is also leading in total points scored in the league, with 245, averaging 4.8 per set, 46 points ahead of second place.
Alongside Konvicka in kill impact is sophomore middle blocker, Mackenzie Parsons (#20), with 140 kills and an impressive .446 hitting percentage on the season so far. With this stat, Parsons is currently sitting at 7th in the nation among D1 programs and is 2nd in the league. As a team, Cornell is ranked no. 2 in the lvy league for kills with 730 averaging 13.27 per set.
Kill conversions don't come without integral assists, leading the charge for Cornell assists are senior setter, Doga Ozalp (#7) with 277 total, averaging 5.54 per set and not far behind her is freshman setter, Mikayla Gray (#18) who has added 244 assists this season, averaging 4.88 per set.
On the defensive side of play, junior Libero, Sarita Pomar (#2) is defending the court with 213 digs this fall, averaging 3.87 per set. At the net hosting a block party for Big Red are junior, Ava Bogan (#16) with 59, averaging 1.11 per set, and sophomore, Mackenzie Parsons with 50 averaging .91 per set.
Scouting Princeton (9-4, 4-1 Ivy)
Friday, October 17 at 7 p.m. | Dillon Gymnasium
Watch Live | Live Stats
The Tigers enter the weekend on a three-match win streak, most recently sweeping Dartmouth and defeating Harvard in four sets. Princeton continues to be one of the Ivy League's most balanced squads, combining offensive precision with a strong defensive presence.
Senior middle blocker Lucia Scalamandre (#15) leads the Tigers' attack with 142 kills this season, averaging 2.9 per set while hitting an impressive .468 — the third-best percentage in the Ivy League. Senior opposite and outside hitter Valerie Nutakor (#8) has added 138 kills at a 3.14 per-set clip, while junior outside Erin McNair (#13) follows closely with 130 kills and 2.65 per set.
Running the offense is junior setter Sydney Draper (#19), who leads both Princeton and the Ivy League in assists with 533 on the season, averaging 10.88 per set. On defense, the Tigers feature a deep back row with five players posting over 100 digs. Junior libero Sydney Bold (#1) anchors the group with 152 digs, averaging 3.1 per set, followed by Olivia Foye (#22) with 144 and Draper with 123.
At the net, Scalamandre has been a force, tallying 48 blocks so far this fall, nearly one per set, and ranking among the Ivy's best in front-line defense.
Scouting Penn (7-8, 1-4 Ivy)
Saturday, October 18 at 5 p.m. | Rockwell Gymnasium
Watch Live | Live Stats
The Quakers snapped a four-match skid last weekend with a four-set win over Harvard before narrowly falling to Dartmouth in five. Despite their record, Penn has shown the ability to challenge any opponent in the league, fueled by standout performances on both sides of the ball.
Junior outside hitter Zada Sanger (#8) leads the Quakers' attack and ranks second in the Ivy League with 182 kills, averaging 3.5 per set while hitting .259. Sophomore outside Jenna Garner (#2) adds 147 kills (2.72 per set), providing consistent production from the pins.
Sophomore setter Emery Moore (#12) directs the offense with 410 assists this season, averaging 7.88 per set — good for fourth in the Ivy League. On defense, libero Addison Pollock (#18) has been a standout, leading the conference with 285 digs and averaging 5.18 per set.
At the net, sophomore middle blocker Adell Murray (#13) paces Penn with 30 total blocks, averaging .63 per set.
Outlook
Cornell enters the weekend with confidence and momentum, sitting atop the Ivy League standings as the lone unbeaten team. With balanced depth across the lineup and strong chemistry on the court, the Big Red have proven they can perform under pressure. If Cornell continues to execute at the level they've shown through the first half of league play, they'll be well-positioned to come away with another pair of Ivy victories.
Up Next
Next Saturday, October 25th, Cornell will host Columbia at home in Newman Arena at 2 p.m.
