PRINCETON, N.J. — Cornell women's volleyball showed every ounce of grit and depth it had Friday night inside Dillon Gymnasium, edging Princeton in a five-set Ivy League showdown, 25–21, 25–22, 26–28, 24–26, 18–16.
The Big Red jumped out to an early two-set lead behind dominant front-row play and sharp setting, but Princeton clawed back to even the match in two tight sets before Cornell sealed it in dramatic fashion — rallying from a deficit in the fifth to stay unbeaten in Ivy League competition.
Cornell (11–5, 6–0 Ivy) hit .294 on the night despite committing more service and attack errors than the Tigers. The difference came in execution and composure down the stretch.
Senior outside hitter Eliza Konvicka led Cornell with 22 kills averaging 4.4 per set, a .240 pct, adding nine digs and five blocks. Middle blocker Mackenzie Parsons followed closely with 18 kills on a team-best .406 attack percentage averaging 3.6 per set, while Meghan Gaffigan added a solid performance with 12 kills, averaging 2.4 per set on a .360 clip and a pair of blocks. Setters Mikayla Gray and Doga Ozalp combined for 67 assists, pacing a balanced offense that saw four players hit above .300.
Defensively, libero Sarita Pomar tallied 17 digs, while Gray added 10. Cornell finished with 65 digs, 10 team blocks, and six service aces.
Set-by-Set Breakdown
Set 1 — Cornell 25, Princeton 21
Cornell opened strong, hitting .406 as Parsons, Gaffigan, Konvicka and Mallus found early rhythm at the net. The Big Red led wire to wire, with Konvicka capping the frame on her fifth kill of the set to quiet the home crowd.
Set 2 — Cornell 25, Princeton 22
Momentum continued as Cornell's depth shined. The team overcame six service errors thanks to timely kills from Konvicka and Bogan and a clutch ace from Pomar. Parsons' back-to-back kills closed the door to give the Big Red a 2–0 match lead.
Set 3 — Princeton 28, Cornell 26
The turning point of the night came in the marathon third frame, which featured five match points and fierce rallies on both sides. Cornell nearly completed the sweep after leading 24–19, but Princeton fought off multiple chances and used a late blocking run to extend the match.
Set 4 — Princeton 26, Cornell 24
The Tigers again used late-set resilience to even the score. Cornell hit a solid .265, but Princeton matched every surge. Konvicka and Parsons each tallied five kills in the frame, while Princeton edged ahead 26–24 on a service ace.
Set 5 — Cornell 18, Princeton 16
With the crowd roaring and the Tigers jumping ahead 10–7, Cornell dug deep. Behind precise setting and fearless swings from Konvicka and Gaffigan, the Big Red stormed back, saving two match points before sealing the win 18–16 on an emphatic kill by Parsons.
Cornell's victory keeps the Big Red atop the Ivy League standings as the lone unbeaten team. The group returns to action Saturday at 5 p.m. against UPenn in the Rockwell Gymnasium.
