Lions Take Ivy League Opener Over Cornell

Saturday, September 25

New York, N.Y.

2:00 p.m.

Columbia University

4-6,1-0Ivy League

Cornell

4-5,0-1Ivy League

Cornell

Columbia

Photo by: Columbia University Athletics/Mike McLaughlin

9/25/2021 6:44:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Highlights Box Score (PDF)

Columbia Volleyball took down Cornell, 3-1, in their Ivy League opener thanks to big days from Emily Teehan and Logan Harlock.

NEW YORK — The Ivy League opener for Columbia Volleyball (4-6, 1-0 IVY) went exactly as planned, and thanks to 20 kills from Emily Teehan and 15 from Logan Harlock, the Lions took a four-set victory over Cornell (4-5, 0-1 IVY) at Schiller Court at Levien Gym on Sat., Sept. 25.

For the Lions, it's the first win over Cornell since 2017, snapping a four-match losing streak to their in-state Ivy League rivals. As for Cornell, it's their second-straight loss and the first time since Columbia's 2017 win that they have opened the Ivy League season with a loss.

Teehan's 20 kills come from .333 hitting percentage, both match highs, while Harlock hit just as efficiently, collecting her 15 kills on .306 hitting. Posting yet another double-double, while tying a career-high in kills and setting a new career-high in digs, was Cadence Gronski, who once again was the table setter for the Lions.

Columbia's offense was solid, but their defensive hitting percentage tells the story as they held Cornell to .181 hitting while offensively smashing at a clip of .248.

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HOW IT HAPPENED: Right away Teehan set the tone for the match, scoring three out of Columbia's first five points, with a service error and a kill from Harlock being the other scorers. It allowed the Lions to settle into the match and another Teehan kill at 9-7 pushed Columbia into double digits as they began to pull away in the first set.

Cornell did get within 10-9, but that attempt from the Big Red to close the gap was quickly shut down by a service stretch from Vanessa Pan that began at 12-9 and when it was Columbia's lead had been stretched to 15-9. In that service stretch, that would be the difference in the match, Teehan had a pair of kills, Harlock added a kill and Pan smashed an ace. It gave Columbia the cushion they needed to ride out the set and take a 25-17 first set win.

Both sides were a bit sloppy from the service line over the first 18 points contested with both Columbia and Cornell combining for seven service errors. The slow beginning meant that midway through the set it was anyone's game and following a slight comeback from Cornell the score sat at 16-16 and head coach Allison Keeley took a timeout.

It was exactly what the Lions needed as Yooni Park would serve the Lions to three quick points to put it at 20-16. A powerful kill from Soah Franklin made it 21-17 and the Lions would get kills from Noelle Foster, Harlock and a finishing kill from Teehan to put a bow on the 25-19 second set win and to advance their lead to 2-0 in the match.

For lack of a better term the third set was an absolute marathon, but for Columbia it really didn't get started until the score sat at 20-24 and the Lions staring straight into the eyes of set point. That's when Pan took to the line and over the next six points the Lions would catch and pass Cornell, quickly flipping the set on its head and having a pair of set points themselves.

The, what turned out to be a seven-point stretch, was led by three kills from Teehan as she would not let the Lions lose the set without a fight. Cornell would eventually snag the final two points and take the set, 30-28, to force a fourth set, but the Lions had made a point that they would not fold under any Big Red pressure.

In what would be the final set, both Harlock (five) and Teehan (four) would set the offensive tone collecting big kill after big kill throughout the set. But it was Teehan's work at the service line early in the set that gave Columbia a quick lead and they sat at 9-4 ahead of a Cornell timeout.

Out of the Cornell timeout, a pair of kills from Franklin and a quick attack at the net by Gronski, paced the Lions to a 15-8 lead midway through the set. The closest Cornell would get over remainder of the set would be at 20-19, it was at that point that Teehan and Harlock both set up shop on either side of the net and began the process of finishing off the Big Red.

Harlock's kills at 23-20 and 24-21 put the Lions in position, and the final point would be decided by a powerful smash by Teehan, who responded with a scream of excitement having given Columbia the 25-22 fourth set win and the 3-1 overall win in Columbia's Ivy League opener.

GAME NOTES: The last time Columbia had a set where at least one side scored 30 points was a 34-32 set win over Dartmouth in 2019 … Teehan's 20 kills is the first time she's reached that mark since registering 23 at Dartmouth in 2019 … Gronski's double-double is the fifth of the season for the Lion first-year … Pan finished with a career-high in digs, 31, which also ties her for the fourth-most in a single-match in program history.

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.

NEXT UP: Columbia remains in the Ivy League but hits the road, as next weekend they head to Yale on Oct. 1, before wrapping up the weekend on Oct. 2 at Brown. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+ and live stats will be provided via each respective program's athletic departments.

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).