Columbia
HARVARD*
Volleyball Rallies To Defeat Harvard
11/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Columbia came back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Harvard, 3-2. First-year Amalia Viti led the Lions with 20 kills while five other Lions tallied double-digit numbers in digs.
In the first game, Columbia opened a sizable six-point lead, but Harvard came back to tie the game at 15. The two teams traded points right down to the end, with the Lions prevailing, 32-30. The second game was all about the Crimson and its two long scoring runs to gain a 12-3 lead. Columbia could not reduce the deficit and lost 30-14.
The third game was close, with neither team amassing more than a two-point lead. It was the second game to go past 30 points with Harvard winning, 31-29. In the fourth game, the Crimson nearly played the spoiler. With the Lions up 29-21, the Crimson went on a seven-point run to make the score 29-28. After a timeout, Columbia returned to the court and won the next point and the game on a block by sophomore Blakely Low and first-year Kelly Russell. This turned the tables and Columbia took the fifth game with ease. With the score tied at six, Russell served up the next nine points to win the game for Columbia. After a Harvard timeout with the score 12-6, Russell nailed two aces and junior Nikki Learned hit the final kill to win the game (15-6) and the match.
With her 20 kills, Viti also led the Lions in hitting percentage (.349) and had three block assists. Learned finished the game with 13 kills and Cassie Ligh recorded a double double with 17 kills and 24 digs. Also having double digit digs was first-year Ashley Kim with a match-high 26 digs and sophomores Shannon Hunzicker, Natalie Gerling and Chrissy James, all with 11 digs.
The Lions (6-15, 4-7 Ivy) finish the rest of the season on the road, traveling to Ithaca, N.Y. to take on Cornell on Monday, Nov. 7. Game time is 5 p.m.
