Columbia
Princeton
Princeton Sets Back Volleyball, 3-1
10/4/2014 8:49:00 PM | Volleyball
Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. - It was a back-and-forth battle between the Columbia volleyball team and Princeton Saturday night at Dillon Gym, but it was the Tigers that prevailed to remain unbeaten in Ivy League action as the Lions fell, 3-1. Columbia suffered its first conference loss by set scores of 25-20, 20-25, 10-25 and 27-25.
First-year Anja Malesevic and junior Bailey Springer registered 12 kills each for Columbia (6-6, 2-1 Ivy League) with the rookie's contribution being a career- high. Fellow first-year, Caitlin Cole also posted a career-best with five kills on a .444 hitting clip.
With 35 assists, Jennifer Petrovich brought her career handout total to 1,023 making her the newest member of the Lions 1,000-assist club. The sophomore is the first Columbia setter to eclipse the 1,000-assist plateau since Kelsey Mussleman'13CC did so in 2010. Petrovich also recorded 11 digs to post her second double-double of the season and 12th of her career.
Senior Charlee Dyroff paced the defensive effort with 21 digs to go with seven blocks from sophomore Kesi Neblett.
Princeton (8-5, 3-0 Ivy League) received a 24-kill, 19-dig effort from Kendall Peterkin as Cara Mattaliano and Nicole Kincade turned in 15 kills and 12 kills, respectively.
Neither team took a definitive lead to being the match before the Lions used a 7-3 stretch to pull away with a 15-11 lead at the midway point. From there, it was all Columbia Blue as the visitors would take a five-point edge off a kill by Zoe Jacobs before a block by Malesevic and Neblett gave the Lions the first frame, 25-20.
Princeton answered back in the second and went on top 9-7 before another 7-3 spurt leveled the matched at 12. The Tigers would regain their lead and went on top 15-12 following three unanswered points. Princeton extended its margin to 20-16, and took set point, 25-20.
It was all Princeton in the third as the Tigers opened an 16-7 advantage. Columbia attempted to chip away at the hosts' lead, but Princeton maintained on top and registered match point, 25-10.
See-saw action dominated the final frame, which featured 12 lead changes and 20 ties. With neither team forming a rally, back-to-back points by the Lions gave Columbia a 21-20 edge down the stretch. The squads continued to trade points as Mattaliano regained the lead for the Tigers with a kill, 25-24. A bad set by Princeton's Lauren Miller knotted the score for the final time at 25, before the Tigers coupled back-to-back points to take the set and match, 27-25.
Columbia puts its four-match home win streak on the line next weekend as it entertains Dartmouth and Harvard at Levien Gymnasium. The Lions host the Big Green Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m., before welcoming the Crimson to Morningside Heights Saturday, Oct. 11 at 5 p.m. Both Ivy League matches will be streamed live via the Ivy League Digital Network.
