NEW YORK — Following a straight set win at Harvard, Columbia Volleyball (5-11, 2-5 IVY) returns to Schiller Court at Levien Gym for a midweek non-conference matchup with Rider (10-10, 8-3 MAAC) on Wednesday, Oct. 20 with first serve set for 7 p.m. in the final non-conference match of 2021.
 
HOW TO WATCH/FOLLOW
vs Rider – Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Social Media (@culionsvb)
 
WEEKEND RESULTS: Columbia spent the previous weekend on the road, visiting Dartmouth (L, 0-3), before taking down Harvard in straight sets in Cambridge, Massachusetts to finish the trip.  The Lions snapped a five-match Ivy League skid with the win and it was their third straight win over Harvard.
 
Columbia's straight set dismantling of Harvard was finished off with a service ace by Noelle Foster in a match where the Lion junior finished with 16 kills and three blocks.  As a squad, the Lions were strong at the net, finishing with nine total blocks to Harvard's six.  Columbia was led at the net by Soah Franklin's match-high five blocks.
 
HOW SWEEP IT IS: The Lions had themselves a Saturday in Cambridge, and it showed in the straight set 25-18, 25-23, 28-26 victory over the Crimson.  Columbia's straight set win was the second straight set win over Harvard in the last three meetings, and for the Lions It was their first straight set win of the 2021 season.
 
FOSTERING BIG NUMBERS: Being fed on the outside all year, Foster has begun to really make her presence known as she has collected 228 kills while hitting a solid .260.  Against the Crimson, Foster hit a season-best .484 with at least 30 attacks on her way to 16 kills.
 
Foster has also been consistent and her 4.07 kills per set place her 40th in the nation and her 4.44 points per set put her 62nd in the country.  Since Ivy League play has begun, Foster has really shown up, collecting 108 kills on .273 hitting.  She has also added 30 digs and 15 total blocks during Columbia's Ivy League action.
 
LIONS IN THE IVY LEAGUE: The strong starts by Foster and Cadence Gronski have placed them at or near the top in several categories.  Foster's offensive numbers have been leading the Lions and, in the league, she sits first in kills per set, total kills (228) and points per set.
 
Gronski sits second in the league in assists per set (10.53) and fourth in total assists (453).  Franklin sits ninth in blocks per set (0.94) while Vanessa Pan (3.77) sits fifth in digs per set.  Isa Lamus has also cracked the Ivy League top 10, hitting .296 so far this season which places her 10th in the league, while Emily Teehan's 3.11 kills per set is good enough to place her seventh in the league.
 
RIDER MATCHUP: It's been a while since Columbia and Rider have met on the floor, with the last match taking place in 2003, and overall, in the eight all-time meetings the Broncs hold a 5-3 advantage.  In the last match, Rider won in straight sets on Sept. 27, 2003 and Columbia's last win over Rider came in 2002 in a straight set win on Morningside.
 
The Broncs come into the match having won in their previous match, a five-set win at Canisius.  The win snapped a two-match losing streak for the Broncs and they bring a 10-10 overall record in the match at Columbia.
 
Rider's Morgan Romano is leading the offense, with 4.04 kills per set placing her 44th in the nation and her 287 total kills slotting her at 38th in the country. Rider plays solid defense as a team and sits second in the MAAC in opponent hitting percentage, holding their opponents to a .175 hitting percentage.
 
VENUE POLICIES: Volleyball spectator attendance will be restricted to a limited pass list only due to University COVID protocols and in accordance with NYC Executive Order 225.

If you are Columbia fan, fully vaccinated and would like to attend a volleyball game this fall, please contact Assistant Volleyball Coach Julia Anderson at ja3445@columbia.edu to get on the Volleyball guest list. You must be on the guest list to be able to attend a volleyball game at Levien Gymnasium before the game you would like to attend. There is limited availability for each home contest.  
 
FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Volleyball by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsVB), Instagram (@culionsvb) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).