Columbia
CORNELL
Volleyball Blocks Cornell, 3-1, in Ivy League Opener
9/27/2014 6:35:00 PM | Volleyball
Box Score
NEW YORK – The Columbia volleyball team turned in a season-high 14 total blocks en route to a 3-1 victory over Cornell in its Ivy League opener in front of 475 fans at Levien Gymnasium Saturday afternoon. The conference opening win came by set scores of 20-25, 25-21, 25-12 and 25-20.
The contest served as the Lions 'Go Pink' match to help educated and fundraise for the fight against breast cancer. All donations made at the event will benefit the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Columbia University Medical Center.
The 14 team blocks are the most for the Lions since Columbia (5-5, 1-0 Ivy League) totaled 18 in a 3-1 triumph over Harvard Nov. 15, 2013. Junior Katarina Jovicic led the Lions at the net with a career-best nine, which is the most for a single player since Savannah Fletcher '13CC recorded 11 in a 3-1 win at Brown Sept. 30, 2011. Sophomore Zoe Jacobs, who joined forces with Jovicic at the net for six blocks, contributed a career-high seven. The Lions' defense held Cornell (3-8, 1-0 Ivy League) to a .062 hitting percentage thanks in part to a 17-dig effort from senior Charlee Dyroff, who needs 68 digs to break Columbia's top-five all-time list with 829.
Jovicic also excelled offensively as the middle hitter tallied 10 kills on a .450 hitting clip. Bailey Springer also recorded 10 kills while sophomore Kesi Neblett chipped in eight. Jennifer Petrovich set-up the offense by dishing out 34 assists. The sophomore is now 48 shy of the 1,000 assist plateau.
The Big Red received 10 kills from Maddy Sroufe and Emily Wemoff.
The Lions fell behind 5-8 to begin the match, but it was the effort at the net that kept the first frame close. Jacobs and Jovicic connected for their first block that jump started a 6-2 spurt that evened the set at 10. Cornell rebounded with four unanswered points that caused a Columbia timeout. The Lions could not regroup off the break as the visitors pulled ahead 12-20. The Lions climbed back within four, 18-22, off an ace by junior Sarah Collins, but the Big Red held on to take the set, 25-20.
Columbia fell into a 3-7 hole to open the second stanza, but managed to climb out with a block by Springer and Neblett. The Lions rattled off five straight points to equalize the set at seven before a score by Petrovich gave Columbia an 8-7 edge. From there, Columbia never looked back. A block and kill by Jovicic gave the Lions a 13-9 lead and a 3-0 stretch put the hosts on top by five, 16-11. Cornell posted back-to-back blocks to trim Columbia's lead to 20-17, but the Lions managed to uphold the edge and put the set away off a kill by Springer.
Tied 6-6 in the third, Columbia went off on an 11-3 run to open a 20-9 advantage. The stretch included three blocks by Jovicic and two from Jacobs. Jacobs also turned in two kills in the run along with first-year Anja Malesevic, who put the set away, 25-12.
Cornell answered back to open the final frame and went on top 2-7, but Columbia battled back. A monstrous kill in the back right corner from Jovicic brought the Lions within two, 9-11, and sparked a 4-1 stretch that knotted the set, 12-12. Neblett slammed a score to keep the set even at 13, before the Big Red pulled ahead again, 13-16. Columbia was determined to keep it a four set match, however, and tie the score for the fourth time at 20 off Malesevic's career-high sixth kill. A Cornell error gave the Lions its first lead of the fourth and it was all Columbia the rest of the way as Jacobs registered match point, 25-20, off her fifth kill of the afternoon.
The Lions head out on the road for the first Ivy League road trip of the season. Columbia will visit Penn Friday, Oct. 3 before traveling to Princeton Saturday, Oct. 4. Both matches have a 5 p.m. first serve and can be seen live on The Ivy League Digital Network.
