NEW YORK – Senior
Chichi Ikwuazom, who finished with 21 kills, set a new program single-season record for kills recording her 418th kill of the season, as Ikwuazom's performance along with 10 kills from sophomore
Emily Teehan almost powered Columbia Volleyball (11-9, 4-6 IVY) past the Ivy League leaders, Princeton (13-6, 9-1 IVY) as the Tigers took the match in four sets, 3-1, on Saturday evening in Levien Gym.
Ikwuazom entered the match needing 20 kills to tie and 21 kills to break the record that was previously held by Kathy Lavold, who set the record of 417 kills in a single season in 2001. Ikwuazom also became only the second Lion in program history to pass 400 kills in a single season as before Ikwuazom only Lavold had reached that plateau.
As a team, the Lions hit .239, but Princeton was bit more effective hitting .303, but besides the second set, the Lions were in each set and the fourth set had to go into extra points before Princeton could close out Columbia as the Lions nearly forced a fifth and deciding set. One thing the Lions did well all night was control the action at the net, recording 10 blocks to Princeton's seven in what was a great fight by the Lions against the league leaders.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Princeton came out to start the first set taking the first five points to jump ahead of Columbia 5-0 right off the bat, but the Lions began to work their way back into the set, and with the score at 15-11, Columbia got a big block from Ikwuazom and junior
Audrey Cheng, that sparked the Lions to get within three points and cause a timeout to be called by Princeton with the score at 18-15. But out of the time out the Tigers continued to maintain at least a two-point advantage, with the Lions only getting as close as 22-20 before Princeton would wrap up the set and take the first set, 25-21, to go ahead 1-0 in the match.
The Tigers then rode the momentum they got from the first set into the second set, controlling the action for the majority of the set as the closest that the Lions would get to Princeton in the set was when the score was tied up at 11-11. Following that point, Princeton began to pull away and the Lions could never catch back up as Princeton took the second set, 25-17, to go ahead 2-0 and put the Lions up against the wall.
Facing elimination, Columbia found the extra push they needed to take the third set, and they were led by Ikwuazom's five kills and Teehan's four in a solid performance that would force a fourth set. The entire third set was back-and-forth, with the score tying up seven times during the set, and that would be evident in the two times the score was knotted up after the 20-point mark.
The final tie would come at 23-23, but that's when Columbia found what they needed to come away with the set win, as Teehan's kill would make it 24-23 and a big block from Ikwuazom wrapped up the set for Columbia with the final score of the third set sitting at 25-23 and the match score at 2-1.
During the fourth, and what would be final set, Ikwuazom again was a force, racking up seven kills during the set, with her final kill being the record setter for kills in a single season, but despite the strong play from Ikwuazom, Princeton would outlast the Lions, but Columbia did not make it easy. Right away things were close, with neither team taking a strangle hold on the set, and that was truly evident in the match-high 19 times the score would be tied up during the set.
Both teams traded leads and points throughout, and it came down to a 20-20 tie and from there things were off and running. In fact, the Lions had set point twice during those final points and they even survived a match point at 26-25 thanks to an attack error from Princeton, but the final two points would fall Princeton's way giving them the 28-26 fourth set win and the 3-1 win in the match.
GAME NOTES: Ikwuazom now sits one kill away from cracking the Ivy League all-time single season kills list ... Ikwuazom now has at least 20 kills in 14 out of 20 matches ... Cheng recorded her 12th double-double of the season, finishing with 46 assists and 11 digs ... Teehan's 10 kills gives her eight matches with at least 10 kills this season ... The 10 kills for Teehan are the most since recording 13 kills at Yale on Oct. 18 ... With 10 blocks the Lions now have at least 10 blocks in seven matches ... This was the second straight game that the Lions recorded at least 10 blocks.
UP NEXT: Columbia wraps up its 2019 season on Morningside with a pair of matches next weekend, starting with Brown on Friday, Nov. 18, before welcoming Yale on Saturday, Nov. 9, which will also be senior day for the four Lion seniors.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Volleyball by following the Lions on Twitter (@CUVB), Instagram (@columbiawvb) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
