NEW YORK – A solid performance of 14 kills on .364 hitting by senior Chichi Ikwuazom was not enough for Columbia Volleyball (10-8, 3-5 IVY) to take down the Ivy League leaders, the Cornell Big Red (14-3, 7-1 IVY), as the Lions fell in straight sets, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at Levien Gym.
 
Ikwuazom's 14 kills came with only two hitting errors as the Lion senior tallied 33 total attacks, but the consistency from the Big Red defense and attack was too much for Columbia to overcome in the match.  Junior Audrey Cheng finished with a team-high 18 assists, while senior Kalie Wood led the Lions in digs with 13.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Early in the first set the Lions hung with the Big Red, trading points over the first 13 points contested, with Ikwuazom racking up two quick kills to start the match.  But when the score hit 7-6 in favor of the Big Red, the Lions were unable to stay within arms' length of Cornell as the Big Red would pull ahead and stay ahead for the remainder of the set to take the first set, 25-17.
 
In a 1-0 hole, Columbia came out of the gate and stayed with the Big Red, powered by a pair of kills from Ikwuazom the Lions took an early 7-4 lead, but that would be the largest lead the Lions would have all match long, as Cornell answered and tied things up at 10-10.  Much like the first set, after the score was tied up, Cornell wen on a run and pulled away to take the second set, 25-15, and a 2-0 lead heading into the third set.
 
Despite the two-match deficit, the Lions again came out of the gate determined to fight hard until the end, and the third set would be a representation of that hard work, as things would be tight throughout as Cornell could not pull away much like they did in the first two sets.  During the set, Ikwuazom racked up six of her 14 kills, while hitting .429 as she carried the Lions through the set and along with first-year Pierce Woodall's three kills, Columbia kept the score close.
 
Cornell did pull ahead 17-14 and looked to be finishing off the Lions, but a kill from Woodall, to make it 17-15, sent the Lions on a run where they eventually tied things up at 20-20.  The score would tie up again at 21-21 and 22-22, but with the score at 22-22 the Big Red would score the final three points to take the third set, 25-22, and the match in straight sets, 3-0.
 
GAME NOTES: Ikwuazom now has 901 kills in her career and she becomes only the fourth Lion to ever crack the 900-kill career mark ... With 308 career blocks, Ikwuazom now moves into sole possession of second place on the all-time block list.
 
UP NEXT: Columbia remains at home for a pair of matches next weekend, starting with Penn on Friday, Nov. 1 before wrapping up the weekend with Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 2.
 
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