Freshman Nevaeh Tien delivered 43 assists as Cornell beat Princeton 3-1 Friday night at Newman Arena despite missing two injured setters.
The Big Red won 25-21, 25-27, 25-19, 25-20 before more than 350 fans and an ESPNU audience in what Cornell described as the first nationally televised home game in its women's athletics history.
Freshman setter directs an efficient offense
With Mary Wolcott and Mikayla Gray out injured, Tien stepped into the starting role and added 10 digs, three kills and two block assists to her 43 assists.
“Nevaeh, she played incredible,” coach Trudy Vande Berg said. “I knew she could handle it.”
Vande Berg credited the upperclassmen with helping Tien settle in and said strong serving and passing reduced the pressure on the freshman.
Cornell hit .301 with 60 kills, 51 assists, 57 digs and four service aces. The Big Red held Princeton to .183 hitting, forced 25 attack errors and finished with a 12-5 advantage in blocks. Vande Berg said the blocking improved after inconsistent performances in recent weekends.
Sydney Zanca led Cornell with 17 points, recording 14 kills on .400 hitting and five blocks, including one solo. Vande Berg said Zanca and Tien had developed their connection in practice.
Mackenzie Parsons also had 14 kills, hit .481 and added seven digs. Jaida Sione contributed 13 kills on .316 hitting, three block assists and 14.5 points. Vande Berg said the team had discussed other hitters taking on more responsibility as opponents focused on Parsons and Ava Bogan.
Bogan finished with 10 blocks, including two solo, along with eight kills on .389 hitting and 14 points. Trinidy Tien led the defense with 13 digs. Kiran Rio had 12 digs and seven kills, and Sara Pomar supplied 11 digs, three aces and three assists.
Cornell takes control after splitting the first two sets
Princeton opened the first set with a 4-1 lead, but Cornell moved ahead 8-7 on a Bogan block. Zanca helped fuel a four-point run that turned a 10-8 deficit into a 12-10 lead, and another four-point stretch with Parsons serving pushed the margin to 22-16.
The Tigers closed within 24-21 behind two Draper aces before Zanca's kill ended the set. Cornell hit .333 with 14 kills and four blocks in the opening frame.
The second set featured 10 ties. Pomar served consecutive aces to pull Cornell even at 9-9, and a later five-point serving run by Rio, featuring three Sione kills, put the Big Red ahead 16-15.
Cornell led 20-17, but Princeton rallied. Zanca and Parsons each erased a set point with a kill before the Tigers won 27-25 on a Harrington ace.
Parsons helped Cornell pull away after a 14-14 tie in the third, recording five kills during the set. She teamed with Nevaeh Tien on a block for a 19-16 lead, and a Bogan-Zanca block closed the 25-19 win.
In the fourth, the Big Red broke an 11-11 tie with six straight points, five with Parsons serving. Blocks by Sione and Bogan and by Bogan and Nevaeh Tien helped build a 17-11 advantage.
Cornell reached match point at 24-16. Princeton scored four straight before Parsons ended the match with a kill.
Penn visits Newman Arena Saturday
The win was Cornell's second straight and lifted the Big Red to 12-6 overall and 8-1 in the Ivy League. Princeton fell to 8-9 and 6-3.
Cornell hosts Penn at 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Newman Arena, with the match streaming on ESPN+. Vande Berg said defending the home court and maintaining strong passing would be priorities.
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