NEW YORK -- The Columbia volleyball team kicked off the Red Storm Invitational on Friday evening, squaring off against Bryant in Queens. The Bulldogs pulled through in the match, defeating the Lions in four sets (25-15, 20-25, 25-16, 25-23), despite a career-high 14.5 points (10 kills, seven total blocks) from Soah Franklin.
The day got off to a rocky start, with Bryant scoring the first seven points of the match. Columbia would answer with four straight points, and eventually cut the deficit to two points, but that would be a close as the Lions would get. The Bulldogs would coast to a 25-15 win to take a 1-0 lead.
Hailee Watts ignited a 4-0 Columbia run with a strong kill to start set two as the Lions looked to even up the match. The Bulldogs took the lead on a 6-0 run of their own, and attempted to pull away. However, Franklin continued her strong game and smacked two kills in a row to spark another 5-0 Columbia run to put the Lions in front. An Eva Atkins kill would give Columbia a 23-19 advantage, and the Lions went on to win the set on a service error and ball handling error.
The third set was all Bryant, putting the pressure on Columbia heading into set four. It was a back-and-forth battle, with seven ties and five lead changes resulting in a 20-20 stalemate. Bryant would gain a 24-21 lead, but a block from Franklin and Atkins, and another kill from Franklin would fend off two match points and cut the deficit to just one point for the Lions. The comeback would come up just short, however, as the Bulldogs held on for a 25-23 win, taking the match 3-1.
Franklin's 14.5 points, 10 kills, and seven total blocks paced the Lions. Amanda Holsen and Atkins chipped in a combined 17 kills. Annabel Happ had a career night, collecting a career-high 23 assists and nine digs, falling one dig away from a double-double. Delaney Seaman totaled 16 digs in the game.
The Red Storm Invitational continues tomorrow with Columbia taking on the University at Buffalo at 11:00 a.m.
For the latest on Columbia volleyball, follow @CULionsVB on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
