Around the Ivies: women's volleyball

It so happens that the Ancient Eight’s traditional Big Three have separated themselves as the league’s top contenders. The Crimson, the Bulldogs and the Tigers have all shown, at different times, why they deserve consideration as the league's top team. Take a look at how the Ivy League sides stack up going into the final two weekends of play.

Harvard (12-7 overall, 8-2 Ivy League): Having blanked the Bulldogs 3-0 on the road last weekend, this squad has made an impressive run at the title. Sophomore setter Corrine Bain has proven an invaluable asset to the Crimson, following up on her 2013 Rookie of the Year honors with three Ivy League Player of the Week nods in 2014. Senior blocker Caroline Walters ranks first in the conference in solo blocks as well as hitting percentage.
Yale (15-4, 8-2): Your two-time reigning champions have been impressive in their title defense. However, Harvard has twice gotten the better of them over the course of the season. The Bulldogs will travel to Columbia and Cornell in what should be a pair of comfortable wins before hosting Princeton and Penn for their Ivy League season finale.
Princeton (12-8, 7-3): A three-game winning streak has followed a three-game midseason losing streak for the Tigers. Junior hitter Kendall Peterkin has made a strong case for Ivy League Player of the Year, holding a substantial league-lead in kills per set (4.62, second best being 4.02).
Brown (9-13, 4-6): The Bears managed probably the most shocking upset of the season when they downed Harvard 3-0 in Cambridge. Otherwise, their consistency has been doubtful, as they dropped five-setters to Princeton and Dartmouth.
Dartmouth (13-8, 4-6): The Big Green is currently riding a four-game losing streak as it heads into the final two weekends of conference play. This squad’s most impressive moment came during its Ivy League opener. It took Dartmouth’s women four sets to dispatch a visiting Harvard side.
Penn (7-14, 4-6): Dropping a three-set match to a league-worst Big Red side should raise some questions about the Quakers. This side’s only conference wins have come against teams in the bottom half of the league table.
Columbia (7-12, 3-7): The Lions, having won three out of their first four games, slid fast into a league-worst six-game losing streak. Sophomore outside hitter Zoe Jacobs recorded an impressive 3.50 kills per set in last weekend’s action, earning her a spot on the Ivy League honor roll. This, however, has been one of the few bright spots for the Light Blue this year.
Cornell (5-15, 2-8): Cornell has suffered from severe inexperience. Seven of its 11 players are freshmen. Three sophomores and one senior brought the only collegiate experience to the Big Red this season. The leadership of that senior has, however, been invaluable, as libero Natasha Rowland leads all players in digs per set.