Wallace Shines as Women's Volleyball Sweeps Killer P's

The Harvard women’s volleyball team got back on track towards its goal of repeating as Ivy League champions with a clean sweep of rivals Penn and Princeton this weekend.

The victories were crucial for the Crimson (6-7, 2-1 Ivy) after the Cambridge squad dropped its Ivy League opener to Dartmouth. No team in the last eight years has won the Ancient Eight title after losing more than two games, making each matchup for Harvard pivotal at this stage in the season.

“Our mentality was a lot stronger [this weekend],” said senior outside hitter Kathleen Wallace. “We came in with a fire and a passion, which we had at Dartmouth but we didn’t maintain as well.”

HARVARD 3, PENN 0

In front of a large crowd in the Malkin Athletic Center, Harvard marched its way to a 3-0 victory over Penn (8-7, 2-1 Ivy), snapping the Quakers’ four-game win streak.

The first set would turn out to be the closest. Penn clawed its way back from a large early deficit, but still fell six points short to the Crimson.

The Harvard momentum carried over into the next two sets, as the Quakers only managed 27 total points. In each frame, Harvard took an early lead and never allowed Penn back into the game.

“I think we did an excellent job and we stuck to the game plan,” Harvard coach Jennifer Weiss said. “Everybody really did a great job. We want to keep this momentum going.”

The Crimson’s efforts were spearheaded by Wallace, who finished the night with a team-high 13 kills, followed by freshman middle blocker Christina Cornelius with eight and junior setter Corinne Bain with seven.

Senior outside hitter Alexis Genske led Penn on the night with seven kills and six digs.

Genske’s efforts were not enough to stop the Crimson, however, as six different Harvard players recorded three or more kills, and the Cambridge squad improved to 2-1 in the Ivy League.

HARVARD 3, PRINCETON 0

The Crimson started and ended the weekend in the same fashion, taking off quickly in its game against Princeton (5-7, 0-3 Ivy) and never looking back, en route to a straight-sets victory over the Tigers.

The Crimson made some important adjustments to rebound from its loss against Dartmouth and demonstrated improved defensive play as it finished the weekend without giving up a set to its Ivy conference opponents.

Princeton’s play was anchored by senior Kendall Peterkin and freshman Nnenna Ibe. Both players finished with eight kills, a subpar showing for Peterkin, who has otherwise averaged over 13 kills per games for the Tigers this season.

Princeton drew first blood in the game, but Harvard responded swiftly and pulled away to take the first and second sets by a combined score of 14 points.

The Tigers finally found their footing in the third frame, and the teams traded a narrow lead back and forth for much of the set. Eventually, with the score knotted at 19 all, three unanswered kills from Wallace helped Harvard pull away to take the game.

Wallace led Harvard’s efforts all night, and finished with a game-high 16 kills. The senior had been sidelined by an injury for the previous several games, and her return to the court was a welcome sight for the team.

“It’s great to have [Wallace] back on the court,” Weiss said. “She’s playing hard and she really did a fantastic job.”

Bain also totaled 10 kills and nine digs, while Cornelius had another breakout performance, racking up five kills and five blocks.

“[Cornelius] is always so dynamic, she’s always crafty with her shots, and her blocking is incredible,” Wallace said. “Being a freshman and stepping up to the plate, she’s really made a huge impact on the team.”

It was an important night for co-captain Caroline Holte as well. The senior bested the Harvard volleyball program’s all-time record for block assists, surpassing Suzie Trimble ’08 for the top spot. Holte now has 303 to her name.