NEW YORK - The Columbia volleyball team opens Ivy League play on Saturday evening, with the Cornell Big Red traveling to New York City for a clash at Levien Gymnasium. First serve is set for 5:00 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The Lions took part in the Red Storm Invitational hosted by St. John's in Queens last weekend.
Columbia faced off against Bryant on Friday evening, before taking on Buffalo on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, the Lions were able to win just one set against Bryant over the course of the two matches.
Against the Bulldogs, Soah Franklin's career-high 14.5 points, 10 kills, and seven total blocks paced the Lions,m and she was named to the Red Storm Invitational All-Tournament Team for her performance. Amanda Holsen and Eva 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.
SCOUTING CORNELL
Cornell enters the weekend with a 2-7 overall record. This will also be the first Ivy League contest of 2023 for the Big Red.
Last season, Cornell finished the season 6-17 overall with a 4-10 mark in conference play which was good for fifth place in the Ivy League.
In the 2023 Ivy League Preseason Poll, Cornell was picked to finish in sixth place, one spot and four points ahead of Columbia.
The Big Red most recently hosted the Cornell Invitational in Ithaca last weekend, with Morgan State and Iowa participating. The Hawkeyes swept the Big Red, but Cornell was able to defeat Morgan State in straight sets. The Bears were the only mutual opponent so far in 2023 for Columbia and Cornell, with the Lions defeating them in five sets at Levien the week prior.
Eliza Konvicka leads the team with 124 kills on the season. Doga Ozalp is Cornell's primary setter, collecting exactly 300 assists so far in 2023. Sarita Pomar leads the Big Red with 147 digs on the year.
MATCHUP HISTORY
Saturday's match will be the 75th all-time between the Lions and the Big Red. Cornell has won eight out of the last ten matches against Columbia, dating back to September 23, 2017, when the Big Red defeated the Lions in four sets in Ithaca. The matchup has been more balanced at Levien, as the Big Red and Lions have split each of the last ten matches in New York City. Columbia's last victory over Cornell came on September 25, 2021 in New York.
ON DECK
The Lions continue Ivy League play next weekend, with two more conference battles at Levien Gymnasium. Columbia will first host Harvard on Friday, September 29 at 7:00 p.m. before hosting Dartmouth on Saturday, September 30 at 5:00 p.m.
HOW TO FOLLOW
All Columbia home games, and every Ivy League game, will be streamed via ESPN+. You can find tomorrow's game HERE.
Live stats will be available via gocolumbialions.com, HERE.
In-game updates will be provided on both Twitter and Instagram.
For the latest on Columbia lacrosse, follow @CULionsVB on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
