PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Columbia volleyball (4-9, 1-3) earned its first conference victory of the season, defeating the University of Pennsylvania Quakers (1-13, 0-4) 3-1 on Friday night. Saj McBurrows, Kiara Robichaud, and Logan Harlock each recorded 13 kills in the total team effort.
 
McBurrows led all players on the court with a .357 attacking percentage. She was one kill shy of her career-high set earlier this season against St. John's. Robichaud set a season-high in kills with her performance. The senior also matched a career-high in digs, going for 12. Harlock recorded her second highest kill total of the season.
 
Harper Justema was a force to be reckoned with at the net, going for seven total blocks. She now has 34 on the season, good enough for seventh in the Ivy League.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first set was back-and-forth. Neither team held a lead greater than two points until late in the action. With the set tied at 19, Columbia put together four unanswered points. The Quakers made it interesting, outscoring the Lions 3-1 over the next four rallies. A setting error from Penn ended the set. Columbia won 25-23.
 
Penn led 7-6 early in the second set. The Lions then ripped off a 9-3 run, going ahead by five. Columbia dictated the pace from there, carrying a comfortable margin until the final point. McBurrows ended the set with a kill, receiving the assist from Ruby van der Heide.
 
Facing a 23-22 deficit in the third set, Penn did not quit. The Quakers scored the final three points of the set, winning 25-22.
 
The momentum from the comeback win in the third set carried over into the beginning of the fourth set. The Quakers led 12-9, but then Columbia stymied Penn's hopes of tying the match with a crucial 7-0 run. The Lions did not surrender the lead for the rest of the night. It was McBurrows again sealing the victory with a kill assisted by Ruby van der Heide.
 
The Lions return to action tomorrow, traveling to Princeton to face the Tigers at 5:00 p.m.  

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