Volleyball Drops Tough Match to Penn

Friday, October 26

New York, N.Y.

7 p.m.

Columbia

PENN

Volleyball Ushers in Wilson Era with Preseason

10/26/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball

By: Columbia University Athletics

The Columbia volleyball team dropped a three-game match to Penn, 30-28, 30-16, 32-30 in Levien Gymnasium. Junior Amalia Viti had 12 kills in the loss, while Shannon Hunzicker had 25 assists.

Columbia gave Penn all they could handle in game three, mounting one of its biggest comebacks of the season, rallying from an eight-point deficit (18-10) to knot the game at 28, 29 and 30-all.

Penn took the lead on a six-point run, with Anna Shlimak serving, on two aces, two kills by Julia Swanson, a kill by Natalie Drucker and a Columbia hitting error. After the teams traded four points, the Lions initiated a short run on a kill by Amalia Viti. Hunzicker served three points, including an ace and another kill by Viti to start to chip into the lead.

Trailing 24-19, the Lions pushed four points on strong serving by first-year Katie Mitchell, making it 24-23. The Lions later knotted the game at 28-28 on an ace by libero Ellie Thomas. Gerling added a kill two plays later to knot the game at 30-30 before a kill by Anne Magnuson and a Columbia attack error ended the game.

In game two, Penn jumped out to an 18-10 lead and the Lions couldn't overcome the early deficit. The Quakers had 18 kills with just six errors in that game, while Columbia only totaled six kills.

Columbia had a six-point lead in game one before Penn rallied to tie the game at 18-18. The teams traded points for the remainder of the game, with neither team leading by more than one point until a Columbia error and a Drucker kill gave game one to the Quakers.

Gerling had nine kills and 16 digs, while Thomas had a match-high 19 digs. Viti's 12 kills led both teams, as Shlimak and Drucker had 11 kills each for the Quakers.

The Lions return to action on Saturday, October 27, when they host Ivy League-leading Princeton at 4 p.m.