Women's volleyball knocks off Brown, Yale to continue strong Ivy season

Think of a cat on the prowl, toying with its poor, defenseless prey. Cunningly, it takes its time, batting the mouse around for a while between its paws, waiting to go in for the kill.

And so it was for the women's volleyball team last weekend at Dillon Gym — though in this case, the cat moved up the food chain and preyed not on little mice, but upon Bulldogs and Bears. In typical cat-and-mouse fashion, Princeton trailed at the beginning of both matches, lulling both Yale and Brown into feeling safe, before turning around to pounce on its unassuming victims.

In its first game Friday, Princeton fell 15-12 to a powerful Yale squad. However, just as the Elis let their guard down, the Tigers stepped up to win the next three games with ease (15-7, 15-10, 15-6) and claimed the match, 3-1. Thanks to consistent passing from defensive specialists sophomore Anne Ziegler and freshman Kerry Song, junior setter Ana Yoerg was able to run a strong Princeton offense — recording 57 assists.

Senior co-captain and outside Sabrina King led the attack from the left with an impressive 21 kills and 19 digs. On the right, freshman hitter Kellie Cramm powered through the Yale block with 20 kills, while sophomore middle Abby Studer added 11 kills of her own.

"The defense played really well all weekend," head coach Glenn Nelson said. "It was the most solid passing this team has ever seen, which opens up offensive opportunities at the net."

The Tigers returned to Dillon on Saturday afternoon to crush Brown in a decisive 3-0 victory. Just as in the previous night's match, Princeton trailed in the first game — unable to penetrate a solid Brown frontline — and the Tigers allowed the score to reach 14-7 in Brown's favor. But at game point, just when the Bears thought they had it won, senior co-captain and middle Emily Brown jumped in for a quick-set kill to earn the sideout for Princeton. After a series of smart serves from King and cross-court kills from Cramm, the Tigers were back in contention. Studer tied the score at 14-14 with a roof, followed by two more solo blocks from Cramm and Studer, allowing Princeton to take the game, 16-14.

"We finally pulled it all together," Studer said. "We were excited to be out there and we did what we've been talking about. Fundamentally, we played well all around."

Brooms

Surprised and worn out, Brown was unable to put up much of a fight, and the Tigers swept the next two games 15-5, 15-7. Cramm led the offense with 14 kills, while Yoerg contributed with a match-high 51 assists. But most impressive was Princeton's all-around stellar defense. Setting up a strong block, the Tigers recorded a season-high 18 blocks for points. Brown and Studer each recorded four solo blocks and the Tigers also got key stuffs from Cramm, Yoerg and sophomore outside Michelle Buffum.

"I'm just really proud of the team," Brown said. "To come out here and win in three, we didn't have the usual lulls. We played steady and focused and really sustained throughout the whole match."

The pair of victories last weekend improved Princeton's overall record to 13-7 on the season, and 3-1 in the Ivy League. But the Tigers are not about to become complacent with their standing.

"We can still be better," Nelson said. "And as the season goes on, we need to keep improving. This team is already better than every other team I've had, simply because of physicality, size and strength. But I still think we can be better."