Volleyball Hosts Cornell, Columbia to End First Half of Ivy Play

Friday, October 18

Providence, RI

7:00 PM

Brown University

Cornell University

Volleyball Hosts Cornell, Columbia to End First Half of Ivy Play

10/17/2019 1:15:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Watch Live vs. Cornell (ESPN+)Watch Live vs. Columbia (ESPN+)

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown University volleyball hosts league leading Cornell University on Friday at 7:00 p.m. (ESPN+) and Columbia University on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+) at the Pizzitola Sports Center as the Bears close the first half of their 2019 Ivy League schedule.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
Vs. Cornell: Live Video (ESPN+) | Live Stats
Vs. Columbia: Live Video (ESPN+) | Live Stats
On Twitter: @Brownvball | @BrownAthletics
On Facebook: Brown Volleyball | Brown Athletics
On Instagram: brown_volleyball | brownathletics
Via Hashtag: #GoBruno

THE IVY LEAGUE ON ESPN
Video of all home contests and all Ivy League games, home and away, will be broadcast live on ESPN+. Fans can subscribe and view games by purchasing a monthly package for $4.99 or a yearly package for $49.99.

ROOKIES EMERGE IN IVY PLAY
Freshman outside hitter Sophia Miller (Dallas, Texas) and freshman libero Kaitlyn Wong (Los Altos, Calif.) have increased their production during Ivy League play. In Ivy competition, Miller ranks second in the league in kills per set (3.79) and fourth in points per set (4.11) while Wong stands fourth in digs per set (3.88). Overall, Miller ranks 10^th in the conference in kills per set (2.56), and Wong sits in eighth in digs per set (3.44). Miller has tallied double-figure kills in three of her last four outings. Wong has notched double-figure digs in seven of her last nine contests.

RETURN OF THE MAK
Senior Makena Ehlert (Orange County, Calif.) ranks fourth in the Ivy League in kills per set (3.12) and third in points per set (3.54). In Ivy play, she leads the conference in service aces per set (0.59). She has posted double-figure kills in 13 of 15 matches on the year alongside five double-doubles. For her career she has tallied double-figure kills in each of 33 matches to go with 21 double-doubles.

She earned Tournament MVP honors at the Friar Classic, posting 40 kills (3.64 per set) and 35 digs (3.18 per set) on the weekend. She also collected All-Tournament Team accolades at the Holly Young Invitational behind 45 kills (3.21 per set) and 39 digs (2.79 per set).

MORICONI & GROVER
Juniors Gabrielle Moriconi (Naples, Fla.) and Eliza Grover (Menlo Park, Calif.) rank third and fourth on Brown with 2.56 and 2.26 kills per set respectively. Moriconi has registered double-figure kills seven times on the year. Grover – an Honorable Mention All-Ivy selection a year ago – has posted double-figure kills six times this season.

SELLERS WITH THE SET
Sophomore Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.) ranks fifth in the Ivy League in assists per set (6.63). She has charted 20 or more assists in 12 of the Bears' 15 matches and has crossed the 40-assist plateau twice. Sellers has notched five double-doubles on the year.

JACOBS CLIMBS BLOCKING CHARTS
Senior Jacqueline Jacobs (Atlanta, Ga.) has posted 318 career blocks, standing as the fourth student-athlete in program history to tally 300 or more career blocks. On the all-time blocks list, she ranks third in program history after passing former teammate Payton Smith '17 (301 career blocks) earlier this season. Jessie Cooper '02 ranks second (363), and Leyla Goldsmith '97 ranks first (428).

STRONG START
During non-conference play, the Bears posted an 8-2 overall record, tying the best start for the team through 10 matches in program history alongside the 2008 team. Brown's eight non-conference wins tied for the most non-league wins for the team since the Ivy League went to 14 conference games in 2001. Four of Brown's eight wins in non-conference play came in five sets. In non-league competition, senior Makena Ehlert (Orange County, Calif.) led the Bears with 143 kills (3.58 per set) and 108 digs (2.70 per set).

FRIAR CLASSIC CHAMPIONS
Brown captured the Friar Classic title behind victories over Coppin State (3-0), Fairleigh Dickinson (3-0), and Providence College (3-2). The Bears earned three All-Tournament Team honorees including senior Makena Ehlert (Orange County, Calif.), junior Gabrielle Moriconi (Naples, Fla.), and sophomore Kristin Sellers (Menlo Park, Calif.). Ehlert – the Tournament MVP – posted 3.64 kills per set and 3.18 digs per set on the weekend alongside 3.36 kills per set from Moriconi and 9.00 assists per set from Sellers.

THE CAPTAINS
The Bears will feature leadership from across their classes with senior outside hitter Makena Ehlert (Orange County, Calif.), junior outside hitter Gabrielle Moriconi (Naples, Fla.), and sophomore libero Paris Winkler (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) serving Brown as captains in 2019.

THE NEWCOMERS
Brown welcomes four incoming freshmen to the team in 2019, including middle blocker Audra Curtin (Tampa, Fla.), middle blocker/right-side hitter Elise Curtin (Tampa, Fla.), outside hitter Sophia Miller (Dallas, Texas), and libero/defensive specialist Kaitlyn Wong (Los Altos, Calif.).

YEAR TWO
Ahen Kim returns for his second year as the head coach of the Brown volleyball program, coming off a year in which he led the Bears to their most wins since the 2014 season. He brings back top assistant coach Katie Reifert, while adding assistant coach Eryn Riley.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Cornell carries a 12-2 overall record into the weekend and stands atop the Ivy League standings with an undefeated 5-0 mark. The Big Red enters Friday's contest on a 10-match win streak. In conference play, Cornell ranks first in the league in assists per set (13.42), fewest kills per set allowed (11.68), service aces per set (1.58), and digs per set (15.47), while standing second in fewest assists per set allowed (11.32), kills per set (14.58), and fewest digs per set allowed (12.68).

Columbia brings a 10-5 overall record and 3-2 Ivy League mark into the weekend and will face Yale on Friday night prior to meeting Brown on Saturday. The Lions have won three straight Ivy matches with victories over Penn (3-1), Harvard (3-0), and Dartmouth (3-1). ChiChi Ikwuazom leads the conference in kills per set (5.61) and hitting percentage (.453), while sitting in third in blocks per set (1.02). Audrey Cheng stands third in the Ancient Eight in assists per set (9.39).

UP NEXT
After hosting Columbia on Saturday, Brown begins the second half of Ivy League play with a home match against Yale on Saturday, Oct. 26 at 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+).