Women's Volleyball: Senior trio plays final matches at Dillon

Both the Lions and Tigers are two matches behind league-leading Yale, to whom the Tigers lost last weekend in four games. With that victory the Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the Ivy League title, but a single win this weekend will give them the title outright.

Princeton will try to deny Cornell (6-18, 3-9) its shot at revenge on Friday night. The Tigers won the first head-to-head meeting in Ithaca, N.Y., in four games. Cornell has struggled for much of the season, but since that meeting the Big Red has notched its only three wins of the Ivy League season, including a five-game victory last weekend against Harvard. Cornell has two players in the top five in league categories — defensive specialist Risa Ka’awa ranks fifth in the league with 5.00 digs per game, and middle blocker Rachel D’Epagnier is second with 1.14 blocks per game. D’Epagnier also leads the team with a .286 attack percentage.

The Tigers will seek revenge of their own on Saturday afternoon against the Lions, who swept the Tigers in their first meeting in New York, handing Princeton its first loss of the Ivy League season. Columbia boasts an efficient offensive attack, with four Lions among the league’s top nine in hitting percentage. Outside hitter Megan Gaughn leads Columbia in kills and points per game. Two middle blockers are in the league’s top three in blocks — Savannah Fletcher leads the league with 1.20 per game, and Heather Braunagel is third at 1.02. Setter Colleen Brennan averages 8.46 assists per game, good for fifth in league.

Princeton’s offensive attack is anchored by junior outside hitter Lydia Rudnick and senior middle blocker Cathryn Quinn. Rudnick and Quinn rank first and second in the Ivy League in points per game, with 4.23 each. Rudnick also leads the league with 3.71 kills per game, and Quinn is close behind at 3.40, good for third. Quinn also leads the team with a .289 attack percentage. Freshman setter Ginny Willis has continued her stellar play in her rookie season, ranking second in the Ivy League with 10.08 assists per game. Senior defensive specialist Hilary Ford leads the Princeton defense with 5.25 digs per game, third best in the Ivy League.

“Cornell is a very good defensive team, and we will need to be very persistent in order to beat them. Columbia is an all-around good team, but if we stay disciplined, we can beat them at their own game,” Quinn said. “We need to stay on the offensive and play our game to beat them.”

The Tigers must take care of their own business and hope for a little bit of luck. The fate of the season may come down to the last match against Columbia. If Yale wins one of its matches, Saturday’s matinee against the Lions will determine who finishes second in the Ivy League; however, if the Bulldogs lose, the Tigers could earn a share of the title with two victories this weekend.

This weekend’s matches, the last of the 2011 season, also mark the end of the collegiate playing careers of three Princeton seniors — Quinn, Ford and setter Michaela Venuti.

“This weekend is bittersweet,” Quinn said. “I have had such an amazing time playing volleyball at Princeton, and I cannot believe it is coming to an end, but I want to end with two wins.”