Cramm leads w. volleyball in season of expectations

Never a team to settle for second, women's volleyball has its eye on first prize again this year.

For the last two years, Penn has kept the Ivy League championship safely out of Princeton's reach. This year, however, the Tigers would like more than just a whiff of the title.

Standing in the way, however, is the perennial challenge of players moving on.

The Tigers lost two of last year's stars to graduation in 2003 — outside hitter Michelle Buffum and middle blocker Abby Studer, second-team and first-team All-Ivy players, respectively. Princeton will miss these co-captains' contributions, not to mention their leadership.

But make no mistake — this is not just a rebuilding year. Several Tigers will continue their extraordinary careers, and several others have the potential to step up and make their presence known.

The team returns senior Kellie Cramm, who led the team in 2002 with 337 kills. She will undoubtedly be a major part of the Princeton attack once again.

With one year's experience under her belt, sophomore setter Jenny Senske is again ready to assist Cramm and company. As a rookie last season, Senske proved her maturity in a tough position. She put up an impressive 1051 assists. These two should form the backbone of the Tiger offense.

Two juniors, middle blocker Alex Brown and outside hitter Lauren Loban, expect to step in and add big numbers in the kill column. Rounding out the probable starting six are sophomores Lauren Grumet, an outside hitter who saw her fair share of playing time last year, and middle blocker Brittany Wood.

Defensively, both Cramm and senior Kerry Song put up well over 200 digs last year — 273 for Cramm, 224 for Song. Look for these two to lead in this category again this year. Brown and Wood have big shoes to fill when it comes to blocking — Studer accounted for over half of Princeton's blocks last year.

This year's championship could be just as elusive as the previous years' have been because the Tigers' competition has not gotten any easier. Penn and Harvard should again be the two teams to beat this season.

The Quakers return four seniors from last year's championship team in contrast to Princeton's relative youth. Penn's experience, not to mention its talent, will be a test early on in the Tigers' season — the two open league play against each other Oct. 3. They also close out the season against each other in November. In all likelihood, these matchups will prove crucial to Princeton's title hopes.

The Tigers also must rally to rein in the Crimson this year. This won't be an easy task — shutting down Harvard means shutting down last year's Ivy League Player of the Year, junior Kaego Ogbechie.

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In her sophomore year, Ogbechie boasted a phenomenal 440 kills, translating to 4.58 kills per game. The Crimson only have lost one player from last year's squad, which tied with Princeton for second in the league.

Yale is not to be counted out, either. The Elis finished fourth last year and return a solid team. A new coach plus a handful of veteran players may bring Yale back well above .500.

Columbia has a new coach as well, but its squad will sorely miss last year's graduating seniors. Kathy Lavold — a three-time All-Ivy selection — led the team in games, kills, aces and blocks. Katie Beauregard led the team in digs and held the defense together. The Lions' first few matches will show how the team stands without those two members of the class of 2003.

Cornell and Dartmouth both have enough experience to have a solid season. The Big Green, however, will need a complete 180 to pull themselves out of last place in the league.

The Tigers ease into the season with a trio of weekend tournaments: the St. John's Classic, the Colgate Invitational and the Juniata Tournament. At each, Princeton will work out any kinks in its game before the Ivy season begins. After all, the team cannot afford to make any mistakes against the Quakers.

The Tigers will have home-court advantage for their first three league games against Penn, Brown, and Yale, followed by an intense month of more Ivy competition.

While easy wins will be few this season, Princeton has the potential to make a run for the title. Only time will tell whether or not the team can hold its own against several formidable opponents.