PHILADELPHIA – 41 kills over two matches by senior Chichi Ikwuazom and a strong showing by first-year Kiara Robichaud helped Columbia Volleyball (4-2) split a doubleheader on the final day of the Hilton Philadelphia at Penn's Landing Cherry & White Tournament, falling 3-0 to host Temple (9-0), before taking down Radford (4-5) in a four set battle to finish the Lions weekend at McGonigle Hall, 2-1.
 
During the Temple match Ikwuazom hit .545, while against Radford she hit .385, for an impressive final day of the weekend.  While Robichaud was equally as impressive, recording seven kills against Temple and a career-high 18 kills against Radford for a total of 25 kills over the final two matches.
 
Junior Audrey Cheng added a pair of double doubles, giving her three on the weekend, while sophomore Emily Teehan had her best game of the short season against Radford, recoding 17 kills while hitting .424.  As a team, against Radford the Lions had three finish with double kills, Ikwuazom, Teehan and Robichaud, while hitting .320 against the Highlanders. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (at TEMPLE): Over the first 20 points contested in the first set, Columbia, who would fight through all three sets, was neck and neck with Temple, answering each point with one of their own.  But with the score sitting at 11-10 in favor of Temple, the set turned and over the final stretch Temple built a lead that Columbia could not overcome, dropping the first set 25-18.
 
The second set played out much like the first, with Columbia answering all of Temple's questions, but the difference was that midway through the set, and the score tied at 11-11, Columbia did not fold.  Instead they dug deep and pushed through the halfway spot and had the scored tied at 14-14.  But Temple's Tyler Lindgren would hold four straight serves and it allowed Temple to pull away and they would take the set 25-15.
 
Columbia came out in the third set and, thanks to three kills by Ikwuazom over the first 13 points contested, built an early 8-5 lead.  Temple worked its way back into the set, but Columbia held on to its lead just past the middle portion of the set, and when Robichaud sent a kill screaming over the net, the Lions had a 17-14 lead.  Unfortunately for Columbia, Temple would score six of the next seven points to pull ahead late, 20-18, and the Owls would hold that lead until the final point, taking the third set 25-22 and the match, 3-0.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (vs. RADFORD): Looking to bounce back from the morning's loss, the Lions did exactly that with a four-set victory over Radford that saw the Lions fight through adversity and grow into themselves through middle parts of the match.  The first set began with a back-and-forth affair with Columbia and Radford going trading points until a 5-0 run by the Highlanders put them ahead 11-7.
 
But Columbia did not fold, and despite finding themselves in a 15-11 hole, they climbed back into the match and with the Lions sitting behind Radford, 20-19, senior Kalie Wood took serve and sent the Lions on a seven-point run that saw them catch, pass and beat the Highlanders, 25-20, to take the first set.  Radford responded by taking the second set, 25-21, to tie the score up but Columbia was not ready to give the match up and the next two sets would prove that a fact.
 
The Lions controlled the third set over the first stretch of points, with Ikwuazom snagging two kills to help Columbia jump ahead of Radford, 11-7.  From that point in the set, the true battle began, and it was over the final points of the third set, Columbia broke Radford and grabbed control of the match.
 
With the score tying up at 17-17, 18-18, 19-19, 20-20 and 21-21, it seemed that neither side would fold, but with Columbia having pushed slightly ahead, 23-21, Teehan smoked an ace and Ikwuazom followed up the next point with a kill to give the Lions a hard-fought 25-21 third set win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
 
Columbia basically sprinted into the fourth, and what would be, final set, having won the true battle that was the previous set and the score would reflect that.  The Lions held a 6-5 lead when Robichaud took serve and along with Teehan caught fire, with Teehan recording three kills and Robichaud adding back-to-back aces, the Lions took the lead for good at 11-5.  And without the Highlanders getting within eight points for the remainder of the set, Columbia wrapped up a 25-16 fourth set and a 3-1 win.
 
GAME NOTES: Columbia hit a season-high .320 against Radford ... Ikwuazom now has a total of 131 kills in six matches while hitting .481 on the season ... Columbia's match with Radford was the first time the two programs have met on the court ... Both Ikwuazom and Robichaud were named to the All-Tournament Team.
 
UP NEXT: The Lions finally open up Levien Gym on Thursday, Sept. 19 when Fordham visits Morningside for the first match of the Big Apple Tournament.  Columbia stays at home on Friday, Sept. 20 when San Jose State makes a visit, and the weekend concludes with a trip to LIU on Saturday, Sept. 21.
 
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).