Columbia
5-17,2-11Ivy League
Princeton
20-3,12-1Ivy League
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Columbia | 22 | 14 | 14 | 0 |
Volleyball Upended by Princeton in Three
11/11/2022 9:43:00 PM | Volleyball
NEW YORK — Columbia volleyball battled valiantly against Ivy League-leading Princeton Friday night at Levien Gymnasium. The Lions lost a close back-and-forth first set and could not rally, eventually falling by a score of 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-14).
Junior middle Aidan Conner continued her recent string of blocking performances. The junior totaled eight on the night to help the Lions (5-17, 2-11 Ivy) accumulate 15 total blocks. It marked Conner's third consecutive match with eight or more rejections, giving her 63 on the year and ranking her fourth in blocks per game in the Ivy League (1.17).
"We've been working incredibly hard in our gym on our culture and how we support each other. That's really come out in our blocking," first-year head coach Patric Santiago said. "We haven't really made changes, but we've started to understand our system. Our block has been on fire for the last three or four matches. It's been really fun to watch.
"I'm really impressed with Princeton. They are obviously at the top of the Ivy League … They used an incredible defensive effort to hold us to a low attack percentage. Hats off to them, because I don't think they expected to get blocked as much as they did and they didn't let that rattle them."
Noelle Foster led Columbia with 8.5 points on the night, posting five kills to go with four total blocks. Saj McBurrows and Kiara Robichaud had four kills apiece. On the ground, senior Vanessa Pan totals 13 digs, posting her 19th match in double figures on the season.
A spirited crowd on Pride Night helped to will the Lions through an entertaining first set. After going down 6-2, the Lions fought back and had the Tigers on the ropes. A 4-1 spurt put the Lions on top, 12-11, before a 7-2 run ignited by blocks from Robichaud, McBurrows and Conner had the crowd on its feet with Columbia ahead, 19-15.
Things quickly turned in favor of Princeton, scoring four straight and ending an 8-1 run back in front, 23-20. Melina Mahood's third and final kill of the set ended it, 25-22. Mahood went on to total a match-high 16 kills.
Despite the Tigers jumping out to a 10-1 lead in the second, Columbia dug in and rallied to get back within five on two separate occasions. Four straight points and three Conner blocks over a 5-1 run brought the score to 14-9. The Tigers scored the next three and didn't look back, winning the second 25-14 to take a two-set lead.
Columbia led early in the third before an 8-1 Princeton run put the visitors up, 11-6. Mahood was the catalyst the rest of the way, putting down nine kills in the final frame to move her team to 12-1 in the Ivy League.
The Lions conclude the season Saturday when they host Penn at 5 p.m. The Lions will be celebrating Senior Night, honoring the careers of Saj McBurrows, Vanessa Pan, Pierce Woodall, Noelle Foster, Kiara Robichaud and Mckenzy Metter.
Stay up to date on all things Columbia volleyball by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsVB), Instagram (@CULionsVB) and on Facebook (@GoColumbiaLions).
