QUEENS, N.Y. – The season finally got started for Columbia Volleyball (1-1) as the Lions split their opening day taking down the Howard Bison (2-4) in five sets (3-2), before falling to hosting St. John's in straight sets (3-0) in the first day of the Jack Kaiser Volleyball Classic on the campus of St. John's in Queens, New York.
 
Senior Chichi Ikwuazom had herself a start to the 2019 season, smoking a career-high 27 kills in Columbia's match against Howard, before adding 14 kills against St. John's to total 41 kills over the two matches.  Junior Audrey Cheng recorded 22 assists against Howard and 30 against St. John's for a solid total of 52 assists over the pair of matches.
 
As a team Columbia hit .233 against Howard and .241 against St. John's in two matches and they smoked 59 kills against Howard and 35 against St. John's showing the Lions' attack is working itself into form early in the year.  First-Year Kiara Robichaud had a solid first day at Columbia, recording 10 kills in each match, hitting .222 in her collegiate opener against Howard and .364 against St. John's.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (vs. HOWARD): Columbia began its match against Howard on fire, taking the first two sets 25-20, 25-17, to jump on Howard right from the gate.  In fact, the Lions hit .231 in the first set and .333 in the second to truly gain control of the match.  Through those first two sets, Ikwuazom had 13 kills on route to her career-high performance.
 
During the first set, Howard would keep it close, getting as close as 19-18 late in the set.  But the Lions locked up the defense and they scored the final six out of eight points down the stretch to put Howard away.  In the second set, it was more of a dominating performance by Columbia, as they quickly extended their lead from 10-6 to 21-9 in almost a blink of the eye.  Senior Grace Campbell controlled serve for Columbia through that stretch as the Lions locked down the second set with a 25-17 victory.
 
Howard got back in the match in the third set, holding off Columbia who, with the score sitting at 23-18, made a late charge thanks to four straight points with senior Kalie Wood serving, but Howard held on to take the third set, 25-23.  In the fourth set, Howard carried its momentum from the third set, as Columbia consistently would not let them pull away and the score would be tied eight times, including being noted up at 22-22 late in the set.  But Howard scored the final three out of four points to take the set, 25-23, and force a fifth and deciding set.
 
The fifth set was a true battle, and Howard took control during the first stretch of the match pushing its early lead to 12-7 and coming within three points of completing the comeback.  But that's where Columbia put its foot down, as the Lions caught fire and thanks to four kills from Ikwuazom and a pair of kills from junior Kaitlin Schultz, the Lions scored nine of the final 11 points to storm all the way back to take the fifth set, 16-14, and the match, 3-2, to get its first win of the season.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (at St. John's): Columbia got back on the court a few hours after its match against Howard, where they took on St. John's dropping the match in straight sets, 25-13, 25-21, 27-25, but the Lions did not go down without a fight.  Columbia nearly came back in the second and third sets, showing the same determination they showed in the early match against Howard by not letting that one slip away.
 
The first set was all St. John's as the Red Storm took an early lead and never gave it back, and even though Columbia did get as close as 15-11 halfway through the set, St. John's pulled away to take the set 25-13.  In the second set, Ikwuazom came alive, recording eight kills and making sure that Columbia stayed within arm's reach of the Red Storm throughout the set.  But after Columbia got within one point, 21-20, the Red Storm scored four of the final five points to pull away and take the set, 25-21.
 
In the third and what would be final set, the Lions truly showed fight and it started from the word go as Columbia jumped on St. John's with a 4-0 run to start the set.  St. John's settled in and it began a back-and-forth set that saw the score tied up 10 times through the action.  Columbia fell behind 15-12 and it seemed that St. John's would pull away, but with the score sitting at 17-15, first-year Vanessa Pan took the serve and held for four straight points to put Columbia right back in the mix.
 
The Lions, thanks to first-year Chloe Rutledge holding serve for four straight points took the lead 23-21 and had a chance to force a fourth set, but St. John's answered, and the score sat tied at 25-25 pushing the set into extra points.  St. John's would take the next two points to take the set 27-25 and the match in straight sets, but not without Columbia making sure it was not easy.
 
UP NEXT: Columbia wraps up the weekend with one final match on the campus of St. John's, with a Saturday, Sept. 7, noon matchup with Canisius (1-5) that will be played in Taffner Field House.  Live stats will be provided for the match via the St. John's athletic department and the action can also be followed on Twitter and Instagram.
 
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).