King ’01 aims for resurgence

When women’s volleyball coach Sabrina King ’01 moved into the program’s Dillon Gym office in February, the walls were bare — a stark contrast to the photo-filled room she remembered from her time as an assistant to longtime coach Glenn Nelson. So before Reunions, King sent a note to all the volleyball alumni she could find, asking them to bring pictures when they returned to campus. By August, three bulletin boards behind her desk were covered with collages of Tigers past and present.

With that bit of housekeeping out of the way, King has set her focus on another restoration project: bringing Princeton back to the top of the Ivy League. In four years as a player and seven as a coach, King was part of five championship teams, most recently in 2007. In the last three seasons — one under Nelson and two with successor Jolie Ward — the Tigers have posted winning records in league play but have fallen short of their ultimate goal.

This fall, King believes that Princeton has the talent and experience to be an Ivy contender, with all but one of last season’s key contributors returning. All-Ivy players Lydia Rudnick ’13 and Cathryn Quinn ’12 look to lead the offense, while four-year starter Hillary Ford ’12 will anchor the back line.