PRINCETON, N.J. – The top-seeded Princeton Tigers defeated the No. 3 seed Yale Bulldogs, 3–2, to capture their first-ever Ivy League Volleyball Tournament title.
Set scores in the championship match were 21–25, 25–16, 18–25, 25–21, 15–10.
Yale grabbed the early lead, but Princeton answered with a strong second set to even the match. The third swung back toward the Bulldogs before the Tigers responded again, using timely serving and improved block touches to claim the fourth and force a decisive fifth.
The final frame mirrored the night’s steady back-and-forth rhythm—but Princeton struck early with key kills from Lucia Scalamandre and Erin McNair, creating enough separation to stay in control. The Tigers hit an impressive .455 in the fifth set and closed out the match with composed sideouts down the stretch.
Scalamandre led Princeton with 20 kills, while Valerie Nutakor, McNair, and setter Sydney Draper fueled a balanced attack that kept the Tigers steady through every momentum swing. Draper finished with 52 assists to guide Princeton’s offense.
For Yale, Ava Poinsett closed out her outstanding freshman campaign with 18 kills, 17 digs, and four blocks, while Betsy Goodenow added 15 kills.
With the win, Princeton earns the Ivy League’s automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Women’s Volleyball Tournament. The Tigers will learn their NCAA opponent during the selection show on Sunday, November 30, on ESPN.
2025 VOLLEYBALL ALL-TOURANMENT TEAM
Lucia Scalamandre, Princeton (Most Outstanding Player)
Valerie Nutakor, Princeton
Erin McNair, Princeton
Ava Poinsett, Yale
Arya Jue, Yale
Nicole Mallus, Cornell
Sophia Wolfson, Brown