Volleyball Drops Tight Match to Brown, 3-1

Saturday, November 3

New York, N.Y.

4 p.m.

Columbia

BROWN

11/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball

By: Columbia University Athletics

Despite a season-high 19 kills from senior Cassie Ligh, and strong hitting from Amalia Viti and Natalie Gerling with 17 kills each, Columbia dropped a tight four-game match to Brown, 30-26, 30-28, 27-30, 30-27.

Columbia opened game one on an 8-2 run, including kills from four different players. Brown mounted a comeback and eventually forced Columbia to call a timeout with Columbia leading 15-13. The Bears tied the game at 20-20 on a service ace from Lyndse Yess and took its first lead at 22-21. Three consecutive kills from Julie Mandolini-Trummel gave Brown its biggest lead of the game, 28-23, en route to the 30-26 game one win.

In game two, the Lions took a 9-7 lead when Natalie Gerling served for four points, including two kills by Ligh and an ace. The Lions continued to maintain a balanced attack and took a four-point lead on a block by Lauren Russell and Alex Marchyshyn. Strong serving by Mandolini-Trummel got Brown back into the game to eventually knot the game up at 16-15. Neither team took more than a two point lead until an ace by Viti put Columbia up two, 24-22 and forced the Bears to take a timeout. As the teams traded points, Yess had two kills in the final stretch that gave Brown the 30-28 victory.

Trailing 10-5 in game three, the Lions' offense came together rattling off six points with Shannon Hunzicker serving to take an 11-10 lead. With the score tied 19-19, the Lions went up 20-19 on a Brown attack error and then got four kills from Viti in a small run that put Columbia up 27-23 en route 30-27 win.

Brown took a commanding 28-20 lead in game four, when Ligh served five straight points, including kills by Natalie Gerling and Viti, but Brown scored the game-winner on a kill by Megan Toman.

Ligh led all players with 19 kills and 16 digs, while Gerling added 18 digs to her 16 kills. Viti had 17 kills and Hunzicker had 47 assists in the loss. Ellie Thomas led all players with 22 digs.

The Lions return to action on November 5, when they travel to Cornell for a 6 p.m. game.