This weekend the women's volleyball team will try to clinch one of the top two seeds in the Ivy League, facing both Harvard (8-14 overall, 7-5 Ivy League) and Dartmouth (9-14, 3-9) in two of its most significant home matches of the season.
"Since these games are very important and will determine whether or not we have a chance to win the Ivy League, we all know we have to step up and play to our full potential," freshman libero Jenny McReynolds said.
Princeton (15-6, 8-2), currently ranked No. 2 in the Ivy League after a win against Cornell last weekend, hopes to continue its string of victories by sweeping the next two games. Success this weekend would set up a title match against Penn, but the Tigers realize that they first have to concentrate on conquering the Big Green and the Crimson before setting their sights on the Quakers.
The Tigers had close contests against both these opponents earlier in the year, pulling out wins in each case. The Tigers definitely understand that it will take more than just heart to win out this weekend.
"We have already beaten Harvard and Dartmouth, but we are confident that they will come ready to play hard," junior outside hitter Ashley Weber said. "While we are looking ahead at the big picture, we are not going to take these matches lightly."
Tigers' head coach Glenn Nelson has been prepping the team all week in preparation for these games.
"We are determined to win, so we have been practicing hard and mentally preparing ourselves," McReynolds said.
In anticipation of the upcoming matches, Princeton has been focusing on a few key strengths that it hopes will give it a decided advantage over Harvard and Dartmouth.
With regard to the Crimson, the Tigers hope to swing more aggressively after their last match in Cambridge was jeopardized by their offensive inconsistency and a powerful Crimson defense. Due to these two factors, Harvard managed to take Princeton to a deciding fifth game, and, though the Tigers came out on top with a 3-2 victory, it was a narrow win that the team has no desire to repeat.
Princeton also must keep in mind that the last time it faced off against Harvard, the Crimson were lacking Kaego Ogbechie, the team's key outside hitter. Ogbechie's loss was sorely felt and she will definitely be a force for Princeton to reckon with in its rematch this weekend.
Though Harvard has a lower hitting percentage on the season than Princeton, the Crimson defense was excellent last match, boasting 100 team digs and 13 team blocks while putting a muzzle on the Tigers' bite. To counter this problem, Princeton, is hoping to continue the trend of having multiple players record double-digits in kills.
The Tigers are banking on the same strategy to lead them to a victory over Dartmouth, a team they beat 3-1 earlier in the season. The last time Princeton played the Big Green, the Tigers showed extraordinary depth, dominating both offensively and defensively.
In their first match against Dartmouth, the Tigers took the first two games before dropping the third, 30-25. The Big Green's strength, however, pushed Princeton to the edge in the fourth game, although they eventually pulled it out for the 3-1 win.
Offensively, though the Big Green has more blocks on the season than the Tigers, Princeton should come out on top if it adheres to its plan of aggression from the get-go and doesn't back off.
As long as the Tigers display a solid defense, Dartmouth's low hitting percentage of .180 should not be a threat. The Tigers should also look to capitalize on Big Green errors throughout the entire match, just as they did in the win against Cornell.
"Both Harvard and Dartmouth gave us a run for our money last time, so the matches should be exciting," McReynolds said.
Should Princeton manage to defeat both teams this weekend, they will once again face Penn, one of two teams to hand the Tigers a loss in the Ivy League. The Quakers themselves were handed a loss by No. 3 Cornell over the weekend, giving Princeton the chance to meet up with them again in an end of the season title match.
With hope, the Tigers will emerge victorious from the weekend's events, moving just one step closer to number one.
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