Columbia Opens 2019 Campaign With Three Matches At The Jack Kaiser Volleyball Classic

Friday, September 6

Queens, N.Y.

Noon

Columbia University

Howard

Columbia Opens 2019 Campaign With Three Matches At The Jack Kaiser Volleyball Classic

9/5/2019 10:39:00 AM | Volleyball

Watch vs. SJU (SJU-TV)Live Stats (vs. SJU)Live Stats (vs. HOW; vs. CAN)Tournament Info

The Lions will open with Howard on Friday, Sept. 6 (Noon), before taking on St. John's (Sept. 6, 5 p.m.) and Canisius (Sept. 7, Noon).

QUEENS, N.Y. – After all the work put in during the offseason, Columbia Volleyball will finally hit the court for real as the 2019 season gets rolling with the Lions taking on Howard (1-3) (Noon) and hosting St. John's (1-3) (5 p.m.) on Friday, Sept. 6 to open the campaign and the Lions wrap up the weekend with a Saturday, Sept. 7, noon matchup with Canisius (2-1) in the final match of the Jack Kaiser Volleyball Classic on the campus of St. John's in Queens, New York.

For Columbia it is the first time since 2014 that they open up the season within New York City's five boroughs, as during that year they opened up the season at home with the Columbia Invitational. The Lions are returning five starters from the 2018 squad, and head coach Allison Keeley has added nine first years to the mix as a young, but talented 2019 Columbia squad gets the season started.

HOW TO WATCH/FOLLOW:
vs. Howard – Live Stats | Twitter (@CUVB)
at St. John's - Live Stats | Watch (SJU-TV) | Twitter (@CUVB)
vs. Canisius – Live Stats | Twitter (@CUVB)

It all finally gets going tomorrow. 😤

🆚 Howard
📍 Queens, N.Y.
🗓 Sept. 6
⌚ Noon

🆚 St. John's
📍 Queens, N.Y.
🗓 Sept. 6
⌚ 5 p.m.
📺 SJU-TV

🆚 Canisius
📍 Queens, N.Y.
🗓 Sept. 7
⌚ Noon

📰 https://t.co/1Xxpe0TWxu #RoarLionRoar pic.twitter.com/TkhjZ2Yfcn
— Columbia Volleyball (@CUVB) September 5, 2019

The Lions' top returners include sophomore Emily Teehan (2018 Second-Team All-Ivy League), seniors Chichi Ikwuazom, Kalie Wood, Grace Campbell and Rose Compton, juniors Audrey Cheng and Kaitlin Schultz and sophomores Isa Lamus and Madelyn Ward. Along with the nine first years, the Lions begin the 2019 season having been picked to finish seventh in the Preseason Ivy League Coaches' Poll, but they have the goal of improving on the prediction.

PREVIEWING THE WEEKEND: Columbia will open the season with three programs that they have not seen in a while, with the meetings against Howard and Canisius being the first since 1998. As for St. John's this will be the first time that the two programs have met on the court since 2011 and the first time the Lions and Red Storm will face off in Queens since the 2010 season.

All-time Columbia is 2-2 against Howard, 2-5 against St. John's and 2-1 against Canisius. Columbia won the previous meeting against Howard, on Sept. 26, 1998, 3-1 and the Lions dropped their Sept. 18, 1998 meeting with Canisius, 3-0.

As for the last time that St. John's and Columbia met, the Lions won, 3-1, at Levien Gym on Sept. 17, 2011. Columbia's last visit to Carnesecca Arena, on Sept. 3, 2010, resulted in a 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Red Storm and a win on Saturday against St. John's would be the first victory in Queens for the Lions since a 3-2 win on Oct. 9, 2002.

1998 ... WHAT A YEAR: It has been over 20 years since Columbia has met Howard and Canisius on the court, and things sure have changed since then. 1998 was the year that the world was introduced to Brittney Spears, gas cost only $1.06 and a gallon of milk was starting to break the bank coming in at an average cost $3.16. President Bill Clinton was elected to his second term and the New York Yankees would capture title number 24 with a 114-48 season that was capped off with a four-game sweep of the San Diego Padres in the 1998 World Series.

WHAT THE BISON BRING: Howard enters the match with Columbia with a 1-3 record, having opened the season with a 3-0 win at home over Hartford on Aug. 30, before dropping the next three matches by a combined score of 9-3. Howard's last match was its first true road match, with the Bison dropping its match at Maryland on Sept. 2, 3-2.

So far in the young season, Ana Williams is leading the Bison in kills with 48 and 24 service aces. Williams is also leading the Bison with 252 assists and 120 total attacks, making Williams a key cog in what the Bison's will try to do against Columbia.

WHAT THE RED STORM BRING: Entering the weekend, St. John's sits at 1-3, having won its previous match, 3-0, at NJIT on Sept. 3. The Red Storm opened the season at the Hawaiian Airlines Rainbow Wahine Classic, where they faced off with Washington (L, 0-3), hosting Hawaii (L, 2-3) and San Diego (L, 0-3).

St. John's will be opening Carnesecca Arena for the 2019 season with Canisius at noon on Sept. 6, before they turn their attention to the Lions at 5 p.m. Last season the Red Storm finished 23-12, losing 3-1 to the College of Charleston in the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championships and they return three starters and nine letterwinners from last season.

WHAT THE GOLDEN GRIFFINS BRING: Before they face Columbia, Canisius will take on St. John's (Sept. 6) and Howard (Sept. 6), and they enter the weekend sitting at 2-1 after taking two-of-three matches at the Sacramento State Invitational to open the season. After dropping the season opener against Sacramento State (3-0), the Griffs won the next two matches, taking down Nevada (3-2) and CSU Bakersfield (3-2) and they carry a two-match winning streak into the weekend.

Leah Simmons leads the Griffs with 39 kills and Melina Woods is right behind her with 30 kills entering the weekend. Cassidy Ceriani has taken the roll of setter and she sits at the top of the team in assists with 101 over the first three matches, and she has recorded 51 digs to help out Canisius' balanced attack.

FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Volleyball by following the Lions on Twitter (@CUVB), Instagram (@columbiawvball) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).