Women's Volleyball: Seniors go out with exciting home sweep

Seniors Cathryn Quinn, Hillary Ford and Michaela Venuti of the women’s volleyball team ended their Princeton careers in impressive fashion Saturday evening, recording a thrilling five-game win over Columbia a night after sweeping Cornell. By going undefeated in the final weekend of the season, the Tigers (18-8 overall, 11-3 Ivy League) finished the season alone in second place, behind Yale, which clinched the title with a sweep over Harvard on Friday night.

Venuti, a setter, had her best match of the season Friday night against the Big Red (6-20, 3-11), recording 41 assists and 13 digs in the three-game victory. Ford, a defensive specialist, added a team-high 23 digs. Junior outside hitter Lydia Rudnick hit .400 for the match, recording 13 kills against only one error while adding 13 digs.

Quinn, a middle blocker, had 23 kills and three blocks in the win over Columbia (15-10, 9-5). Most impressive was her performance in the final game, which demonstrated the kind of leadership she has provided throughout her career. In the pivotal fifth game, Quinn hit .555, recording five kills without an error as well as two crucial blocks. In the final play of her career, she had the last kill of the match to seal the victory.

“The way Cathryn played in the fifth game was very inspiring because you could tell how much she wanted to win, and it was infectious,” Rudnick said. “The final point of the match, she had one of the most amazing hits to end her career, and I’m sure she will remember that for a long time.”

Saturday marked Senior Night at Dillon Gymnasium, as the trio of veterans were honored prior to the victory over the Lions. The win, however, required a complete team effort. Rudnick led the Tigers with a .343 hitting percentage, 27 kills and 17 digs. Ford added 18 digs, and freshman setter Ginny Willis had a season-high 65 assists. Freshman middle blocker Nicole Kincade hit .281 for the match with 15 kills and nine blocks, and sophomore outside hitter Chelsea Parker recorded 13 digs.

“It feels great to come away with two victories this weekend,” Rudnick said. “I think it was just a good way to end the season for the seniors, and second in the Ivy League is not too bad.”

The 2011 season marked a successful campaign for first-year head coach Sabrina King ’01. Despite not winning the Ivy League title, Princeton can look at a lot of positives moving forward, including a perfect 7-0 home record in conference play.

“We never lost at home [in league play] this season, and I think that is a great accomplishment,” Rudnick said. “It feels great to win in Dillon, and I think the key to winning at home was that we always want to defend our home. We are also very comfortable in our gym, and having a crowd back us up has also been amazing.”

However, the Tigers will miss the presence and leadership of Quinn, Ford and Venuti.

“The seniors did a great job leading the team this year,” Rudnick added. “All three of them played different roles, and they definitely had a big impact both on and off the court. They are all so passionate about the team, and it shows both when they are playing and when we are in practice. We are going to miss them so much.”