NEW YORK — Saj McBurrows will always remember the final kill of her collegiate career, as the senior used it for the final point of Columbia volleyball's 2022 season and a thrilling five-set victory over visiting Penn Saturday evening at Levien Gymnasium (25-22, 25-19, 23-25, 22-25, 15-13).
The senior class of McBurrows, Noelle Foster, Kiara Robichaud, Mckenzy Metter, Vanessa Pan and Pierce Woodall were all honored prior to the match. Head coach Patric Santiago put all six in the starting lineup.
The half-dozen seniors refused to be denied one last victory. After Columbia (6-17, 3-11 Ivy) won the first two sets, Penn (2-22, 1-13 Ivy) rallied to bring the match to a deciding fifth. The Quakers jumped ahead, 7-3, and were leading 10-6 before four straight points with kills by Foster and Robichaud tied it up.
Finally, with Penn leading 13-12, McBurrows took over and put the match in her hands. The senior out of Phoenix, Arizona laced back-to-back-to-back kills, including the 243rd and final of her career, to win the fifth, 15-13, before being mobbed by her teammates in celebration.
"It's simply everything our program is about," first-year Columbia head coach Patric Santriago said after the match. "'Never quit' is an important thing for us. This 'never quit' isn't about volleyball, it's about teaching these individuals about never quitting on themselves. For our seniors, hopefully they don't quit the things that this program gave to them that make them great. And hopefully, for the kids are continuing, they don't quit the best qualities that these seniors had. These seniors had incredible courage and resilience to go through a COVID year and a coaching change, and have just … handled it with such grace and class. It's been amazing to watch and I'm just so happy that they played for each other."
The six seniors combined for 54 of Columbia's 66 kills on the evening, with Foster (16), McBurrows (15) and Woodall (15) leading the way. Foster and McBurrows combined for seven blocks, Robichaud had eight kills and 11 digs, Pan went for 11 more digs and Metter chipped in two aces and five digs in her collegiate finale.
"We've gotten to come in every single day to 23 amazing young women who are going to move the world," Santiago added. "That has been a gift to our coaching staff and to work with this team has been the joy of a lifetime."
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