Women's volleyball continues homestand against Brown, Yale

Home court advantage at Dillon Gymnasium, the former stomping grounds of basketball Hall of Famer Bill Bradley ’65, is something to be cherished. This weekend see the conclusion of a four-game homestand for women’s volleyball (8-5 overall, 3-0 Ivy League), which side will take on Brown (6-9, 1-2) and reigning champion Yale (2-1, 6-6). Should the Tigers continue their undefeated conference streak, they will put themselves in a favorable position to secure their first Ivy crown since 2007.

During the tenure of Head Coach Sabrina King ’01, a former Ivy League Player of the Year who took the reins in 2011, Princeton has dropped only one match, on the road, to their rivals from Providence, R.I. Last season, the Tigers and Brown went to five sets before the home side ground out a 16-14 final set win.

Conversely, the Tigers have only earned one victory against Yale with King at the helm while suffering five losses. This 3-1 win came in Dillon Gymnasium during the 2011 season.

Princeton’s junior hitter Kendall Peterkin has emerged as the Ancient Eight’s most powerful presence. Her kills-per-set mark of 4.43 leads all conference players, with the second-best-set average being 3.68. Of the five Player of the Week honors awarded this season, Peterkin has won four.

The lone senior starting for the Tigers, middle blocker Nicole Kincade likewise ranks at the top of the Ivy League in her specialization. Her 1.04 blocks per set leads all players, while her 2.43 kills per set awards her 15^th place in that category.

Brown has emerged as a league contender of late, following a number of years in the Ivy League basement. Only eight wins came for Brown in the 42 contests between 2010 and 2013. Last season, they matched the past three years’ total with eight wins against six losses.

The strength of Brown game can be located in its serving ability. Three of the top six service aces-per-set marks in the Ivy League belong to Brown players, resulting in a league best team mark of 1.54 aces per set.

On the other hand, Yale has been a persistent powerhouse in Ivy League volleyball. They have held either a share of the conference title or the outright championship since 2010. In 2012, the Bulldogs compiled a perfect 14-0 Ivy record while dropping only four sets in those contests.

Trailing Peterkin by some margin, senior outside hitter Mollie Rogers is the Ivy League’s current runner-up in kills per set. The San Diego-native earned first-team all-Ivy recognition last season and captains her talented side this year.

2013 conference runners-up Harvard downed Yale earlier this past weekend in Cambridge, Mass. The back-and-forth affair went to five sets. Parity abounds this season, as both Dartmouth and Brown have picked up wins against the Crimson.

Seven p.m. on Friday is the start time for the matchup with Brown, with the contest against Yale scheduled for 5 p.m. the following day. Live video will be available to Ivy League Digital Network subscribers.