Sports Shorts: Princeton drops home opener, 3-2

Playing its first game of the season at Dillon Gymnasium after opening the season with nine straight matches on the road, the women’s volleyball team fell to Lehigh (3-6) in five sets. After falling behind 2-1, the Tigers (3-7) rallied to force a tie-breaking fifth set before losing 15-25, 25-23, 25-21, 20-25, 16-14.

The Tigers got off to a hot start, scoring the first five points of the match en route to a first-set victory. Playing her first career home game, freshman middle blocker Stephanie Marani notched the Tigers’ first point with a kill and would finish with three blocks.

Princeton was on its way to a 2-0 lead, holding a 23-20 lead late in the second set, before Lehigh reeled off five consecutive points. The Mountain Hawks used a 7-1 run to take the third set more handily, but the hosts evened the score in the fourth.

Princeton fought off two match points in the fifth set, evening the score at 14-14, but Lehigh won consecutive points to win 3-2. Senior outside hitter Lydia Rudnick led the hosts with 18 kills, while junior outside hitter Chelsea Parker added 15.