QUEENS, N.Y. – Columbia Volleyball (3-5) battled for nine sets, facing off against St. John's (7-4) and Middle Tennessee (10-2) on the first day of the Red Storm Invitational on Friday afternoon. The Lions took the host school to five sets before dropping the second match against the Blue Raiders in four sets.
 
Saj McBurrows was the driving force on offense in the first match, hitting .429 on the way to a career-high 14 kills. The senior outside hitter added nine kills against Middle Tennessee, leading all Lions. Ruby van der Heide eclipsed 20 assists twice, finishing with 23 in both matches.

On the defensive side, Columbia got nine total blocks from Harper Justema and 28 total digs from Vanessa Pan.
 
"We enjoyed a great test for us today as we head towards our conference season," said head coach Patric Santiago. "There were times we really fought hard and grew. It is such a privilege to watch Columbia Volleyball when we play with courage and passion. We are grateful for the opportunity to help each other get better and we are eager to continue the work we have started this preseason."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (vs. St. John's): Holding a slight 6-5 edge in the first set, the Lions ripped off five unanswered points. The run was capped by three consecutive attacking errors from the Red Storm. St. John's did not go away, using a 5-0 run of its own to narrow the gap to one. Columbia led 15-13 before building the margin to nine. Ruby van der Heide served up three straight aces for points 17, 18, and 19. CU kept its foot on the gas for the rest of the set, taking it 25-18.
 
The Red Storm established a 7-1 advantage in the second set. The Lions brought the score to within six points, but that was the smallest margin of the set. Saj McBurrows, Eva Atkins, and Amanda Holsen all recorded kills in the set. St. John's won 25-12.
 
Columbia bounced back in the third set, creating a 9-4 edge. From there, St. John's began gaining momentum, outscoring the Lions 7-1 to take the lead. Columbia put a halt to the run with three straight points and never trailed again in the set. Saj McBurrows and Kiara Robichaud accounted for two of the Lions' final three points, helping Columbia earn a 25-21 victory.
 
The fourth set began with a 9-1 rally from St. John's, making it a tough hill to climb for the Lions. The Red Storm built a 15-5 lead and held a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.
 
The Lions led 4-2 in the final set. St. John's then went for six consecutive points and did not surrender the lead for the rest of the afternoon. Pierce Woodall had a pair of kills in the fifth set. The Red Storm took the set 15-9.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (vs. Middle Tennessee): The Blue Raiders opened the first set on a 15-5 run. The Lions narrowed the deficit to single-digits on two different occasions but Middle Tennessee did not budge, winning 25-14.
 
Another big outburst from the Blue Raiders in the second set created a difficult lead to overcome for the Lions. Middle Tennessee won 25-9.
 
Despite having already played seven sets of tough volleyball, Columbia did not quit in the third set. The Lions went down 1-0 then erupted for seven unanswered points. A kill from Woodall later in the set made it 11-2 in favor of Columbia. Middle Tennessee fought back, bringing the score to within four points, but Columbia cut the comeback short. A kill from Eva Atkins and an attack error from the Blue Raiders made up the final two points of the set. The Lions won 25-20.
 
The teams traded blows throughout the fourth set. The Lions were down 14-12 then scored three consecutive points, gaining contributions from Lauren Cho and Pierce Woodall. Neither team could create separation, resulting in a 20-20 tie. The Blue Raiders ended the set on a 5-1 run, cementing the match victory.  
 
UP NEXT: The Lions return to action tomorrow with a match against Boston College at 11:00 a.m. on the final day of the Red Storm Invitational. 
 
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).