Cornell University’s women’s volleyball team is set to play two away matches in the Ivy League this weekend. The Big Red will face Princeton on Friday, October 17 at 7 p.m. in Dillon Gymnasium, followed by a match against Penn on Saturday, October 18 at 5 p.m. in Rockwell Gymnasium.
Cornell has had a strong season so far, holding a 10-5 overall record and remaining undefeated in Ivy League play at 5-0. The team is coming off wins against Brown and Yale, maintaining their unbeaten league streak. In their recent matches, Cornell defeated Brown in four sets and Yale in three, with the final set against Yale ending in a close 30-28 score.
Senior outside and right side hitter Eliza Konvicka leads both Cornell and the Ivy League in kills with 204 this season, averaging 4.00 per set and holding a .277 hitting percentage. Konvicka was named Ivy League Player of the Week and also leads the league in total points scored with 245, averaging 4.8 per set.
Sophomore middle blocker Mackenzie Parsons has contributed 140 kills with a .446 hitting percentage, ranking her seventh nationally among Division I programs and second in the Ivy League. Cornell as a team is ranked second in the Ivy League for kills, with 730 total and an average of 13.27 per set.
The team’s offense is also supported by senior setter Doga Ozalp, who has recorded 277 assists this season, averaging 5.54 per set. Freshman setter Mikayla Gray has added 244 assists, averaging 4.88 per set.
On defense, junior libero Sarita Pomar has tallied 213 digs, averaging 3.87 per set. Junior Ava Bogan leads the team in blocks with 59, averaging 1.11 per set, followed by Parsons with 50 blocks.
Princeton enters Friday’s match with a 9-4 overall record and 4-1 in the Ivy League, currently on a three-match winning streak. Senior middle blocker Lucia Scalamandre leads Princeton with 142 kills and a .468 hitting percentage, while junior setter Sydney Draper leads the Ivy League in assists with 533.
Penn holds a 7-8 overall record and is 1-4 in the Ivy League. The Quakers recently ended a four-match losing streak with a win over Harvard before narrowly losing to Dartmouth. Junior outside hitter Zada Sanger leads Penn’s offense and ranks second in the Ivy League with 182 kills, while sophomore setter Emery Moore has 410 assists this season.
Cornell currently sits atop the Ivy League standings as the only unbeaten team in league play. The team will return home next Saturday, October 25, to host Columbia at Newman Arena.
