Columbia
Brown
Volleyball Can?t Outlast Brown, Falls in Five
10/17/2014 9:44:00 PM | Volleyball
Box Score
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - For the second time in as many matches, the Columbia volleyball team's fate came down to a fifth-set decision, but the Lions could not outlast Brown at the Pizzitola Sports Center Friday Night. The setback came by set scores of 22-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-23 and 19-21.
Columbia (7-8, 3-3 Ivy League) received 15-kill efforts from first-year Anja Malesevic and junior Bailey Springer. Malesevic used a .293 hitting clip to record a new career-high in kills. Jennifer Petrovich handled the setting duties as the sophomore dished out 40.
On the defense side of the net the Lions saw a trio post double-digit kills in senior Charlee Dyroff (29), sophomore Cassie Wes (21) and junior Atlanta Moye-McLaren (14). Sophomore Kesi Neblett contributed seven kills to the defensive effort.
Brown (7-11, 2-4 Ivy League) was paced by Payton Smith who turned in 20 kills as Maddie Lord and Brittany Link contributed 14 kills and 13 kills, respectively.
Columbia trailed 17-12 in the first set before using an 8-3 stretch to knot the frame at 20-20. A kill by Katarina Jovicic put the Lions ahead, 21-20, but the Bears put together three straight points to take the frame, 25-22.
It was all Lions in the second set as Dyroff's first kill of the season couple with an ace by Sarah Collins helped Columbia to an 11-8 lead. A score by Malesevic put the score to 19-13, but Brown kept things interesting with a 5-0 run that cut Columbia's lead to 23-19. The Lions maintained their lead and took the set, 25-22, off a Bears' error.
The teams battled back-and-forth throughout the third stanza. Brown held a three-point lead, 13-16, before Columbia surged to level the score at 16 off a kill by Neblett. A Malesevic kill kept the score even at 18-18, but the Bears went on to score seven of the final 11 points to close the set, 25-22.
A kill by Alex Reale opened the fourth set before the teams swapped points. Trailing 13-15, the Lions used a Maesevic killed and Jovicic block to equalize the set at 16. The teams continued to trade points and Springer would even the score for the final time at 23. Two straight Brown errors put the set away for Columbia, 25-23, and forced a fifth set.
The fifth and final set was another tight affair as the teams found themselves even at 11. Neither team would take a definitive lead until the Bears coupled two points to seal the match, 21-19.
Columbia remains on the road as it makes the trip to New Haven, Connecticut, for a showdown with Yale tomorrow at 5 p.m.
