W. volleyball splits four league matches

Following four league games over Fall Break, the women's volleyball squad finds itself a game and a half behind league leaders Harvard and Cornell.

After splitting the four games, head coach Glenn Nelson finds himself one win shy of the 500 mark for his career at Princeton.

During the first weekend of Fall Break, Princeton (15-6 overall, 6-3 Ivy League) hit the road against Cornell and Columbia. A win over Cornell would have gone a long way towards allowing the Tigers to control their own destiny in the hunt for the Ivy League title.

Unfortunately, Princeton was unable to overcome the Big Red (14-6, 8-2), falling by a score of 3-1.

The Tigers lost a very tight first game, 30-28, before bouncing back for a 30-25 win in the second game. With the match clearly hanging in the balance, it was Cornell who seized control. They took the third game, 30-26, and closed out the match with a 30-25 win in game four.

Princeton rebounded the next night against league doormat, Columbia (3-19, 1-9). The Tigers were certain to maintain their intensity despite the easy match. They swept through the Lions, 3-0, giving up 22, 26, and 22 points in the three games.

Junior outside hitter Lauren Grumet led the Tigers with 18 kills. Junior setter Jenny Senske had 40 assists, while sophomore libero Jenny McReynolds had a team-high 17 digs.

The following weekend, the Tigers had a chance to get Nelson his 500th win at home as they took on Yale and Brown.

Only two other coaches in the history of Princeton sports have reached this plateau. Former softball coach Cindy Cohen had 564 wins, while legendary basketball coach Pete Carril finished his career with 514 career victories.

The match against Yale (10-7, 5-4) was a dangerous trap for Princeton, and the Elis were able to pull out a fiercely fought 3-2 win on the road. Princeton held a 2-1 lead in the match and was ahead, 26-24, in the fourth game, only four points from ending the match. However, the Elis scored four straight to go up, 28-26. While Princeton was able to tie the game at 29, they could not earn a game point. After hanging on for dear life, the Tigers finally succumbed 37-35.

Demoralized by the loss, Princeton was punchless in the fifth game, and Yale rolled to a 15-4 win, taking the match 3-2.

Finally, Princeton battled Brown (7-13, 4-5) to close out its Fall Break schedule. The Tigers dropped the first game, 30-25, before rebounding to win the next three. Senior middle blocker Alex Brown led the team with 19 kills, while Grumet contributed 12 kills and a team-high 28 digs.

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After winning games two and three 30-25 and 30-27, respectively, Princeton pulled away in game four for a 30-21 win. The Tigers avenged a loss at Brown earlier this year.

The Tigers are still in the hunt for the league title, trailing Harvard and Cornell by one game in the loss column. They still have one game remaining against both teams.