NEW YORK – For the second time in a week, senior Chichi Ikwuazom smoked 29 kills, tying her career-high, as Columbia Volleyball (6-2) won its third straight match, this time in a five set thriller, 3-2, over San Jose State (5-6), on Friday night, to open up Levien Gym with back-to-back wins.
 
Ikwuazom hit .471 on the match and had 31 points to power Columbia's offense over the five sets.  Junior Audrey Cheng again had a solid night, fresh off her triple-double the night before, Cheng recorded 14 digs and 41 assists for a double-double on the night.  As a team, Columbia out-hit San Jose State, .310 to .210 and despite the Spartans recording 65 kills to Columbia's 61, the Lions were strong at the net all night, recording 10 blocks while San Jose State only managed five. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (vs. SAN JOSE STATE): In the first set, the Lions found themselves in an early hole, with the Spartans jumping ahead 8-2 over the first 10 points contested, but Columbia dug in their heels and when San Jose State hit 10 points the Lions began to fight back into the match.  San Jose State would not get past 12 points before the Lions caught and passed them on five straight points powered by first-year Vanessa Pan holding serve with Ikwuazom and sophomore Emily Teehan each adding two kills apiece to push Columbia ahead 15-12.
 
San Jose State would work its way back in front and would hold that lead through a late 22-22 tie to take the first set 25-23, despite Columbia's best efforts to complete the comeback.  The Lions responded properly in the second set, coming out of the gate on fire, going on a 7-0 run, eventually pushing their early lead to 10-1, with Pan again holding serve throughout, winning six points for the Lions during the stretch.
 
The Spartans would work their way back into the set, tying things up at 16-16 late in the action, but with the score sitting at 20-18 in Columbia's favor, the Lion first years responded, with first-year Kiara Robichaud holding serve over the final four points and first years Soah Franklin and Noelle Foster each adding a kill to push Columbia to the 25-18 second set victory.
 
The third set was a testament to how evenly matched each side was, with San Jose State taking a 10-8 lead over the first 18 points decided, and the Lions storming right back to tie things up at 16-16.  From that point, the match would be tied five more times, with 25-25 being the last time the two teams would be even during the set, but with Teehan serving, Ikwuazom ripped a kill and San Jose State's Haylee Nelson followed Ikwuazom's kill with an attack error to give Columbia the 27-25 third set win.
 
Despite Columbia working hard to stay with the Spartans, late in the fourth set San Jose State pulled away to win the set, 25-22, and force a fifth and deciding set.  The Lions were determined to not drop the match at home, and it showed as Columbia came out and jumped on the Spartans, 7-3, over the opening stretch of the final set.
 
From that 7-3 point in the set, Columbia did not let off the gas, as three kills from Ikwuazom, four digs from senior Kalie Wood and a winning kill from Teehan gave Columbia a commanding 15-8 fifth set win and the hard fought, five set victory.
 
GAME NOTES: Ikwuazom tied her career-high and her school record fourth most kills in a single match with 29 kills ... Over the past five matches, all in the span of a week, Ikwuazom has racked up 123 kills ... Cheng recorded her fifth double-double of the season ... Columbia's hitting percentage in the past three matches: .320 (vs. Radford); .278 (vs. Fordham); .310 (vs. San Jose State) ... Columbia's 10 blocks as team is the second time this season that the Lions have recorded 10 blocks, with the previous time coming in the season opening win over Howard.
 
UP NEXT: Columbia hits the road tomorrow, Sept. 21, for the final match of the weekend, with a 4 p.m. visit to the LIU Sharks in Brooklyn, New York.
 
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).