NEW YORK -- The Columbia volleyball team played two more games at Levien Gymnasium to close out the Big Apple Tournament on Saturday; taking on Virginia at noon before squaring off against Quinnipiac later in the evening.
 
The Lions took ACC foe Virginia into deep water before the Cavaliers emerged victorious in five sets (22-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-13, 15-5), despite numerous Lions tallying career-highs. In the night cap, the Bobcats coasted to a win in straight sets (25-19-25-17-25-20)
 
 
GAME 1
Hailee Watts notched the first kill of the game for Columbia after the Cavaliers got out to a quick 3-0 lead. Virginia then expanded its lead to 10-5 before Columbia took their first timeout. Columbia stole the momentum out of the break and slowly chipped away until the Lions finally tied the game at 20-20. Columbia would take the lead and go on a 3-0 run to move into striking distance of the team's first set victory of the season. An impressive kill by Amanda Holsen helped seal the deal in the Lions' 25-22 win.
 
The second set largely played according to the script of the first set. Watts once again earned the first kill for the Lions, and Virginia was able to reach a 10-5 lead. This time, it was an exhilarating kill by first-year opposite Avery Jones that fired up the bench and crowd and began swinging momentum back into Columbia's favor. The Lions would go on a late 4-0 run, but it wouldn't be enough as the Cavaliers took the set and evened up the score at 1-1.
 
The Lions, aided by back-to-back kills from both Holsen and junior middle blocker Harper Justema, took an early 12-9 lead in the third game. The Cavaliers eventually tied up the score, but Columbia re-took the lead and went on to score four consecutive points to bring it to 18-14. A kill from Eva Watkins put the Lions in front 24-20, and despite three unanswered Cavalier points, Columbia would hold on to take a 2-1 lead.
 
The Lions were in the driver's seat heading into set four, but Virginia wouldn't go down easy. The Cavaliers dominated the game, winning 25-13 and forcing a fifth set. After a 4-4 start which included a monster kill from Anna Gioranidi to go with her signature roar, the Cavaliers would score 11 of the next 12 points to come from behind and win the set and match.
 

Atkins led the team with 13 kills, with her teammates Watts (12), Holsen (12), and Soah Franklin (10) joining her in double figures. All four totals marked new career highs for the Lions' hitters. Senior libero Yooni Park also set a new career-high with 22 digs, just after setting it at 10 the night before. Sophomore setter Ruby Van der Heide collected 23 assists in Columbia's first outing of the day.
 
 
GAME 2
Mere hours after the loss to Virginia, the Lions returned to the floor with hopes of picking up their first win of the season against Quinnipiac in the final match of the Big Apple Tournament. The Bobcats (25-19, 25-17, 25-20) spoiled Columbia's night, winning in straight sets.
 
Columbia earned the first point of the game on a kill from Justema, who finished this set with five kills. The Lions fought hard, but they eventually found themselves down 9-5 when they decided to use their first timeout. Service errors plagued the Lions during this set, and the Bobcats were able to expand their lead. The crowd erupted after a Watts kill capped off a Lions 3-0 run that narrowed the deficit to just four. The game was in reach for Columbia, but Quinnipiac was able to hold off the Lions' comeback to win the set 25-19.
 
The Lions quickly went down 4-0 in the second set and strove to get the match back into their control. After back-to-back blocks by Justema and Jones, an attack error from Virginia evened up the score at 7-7. The Lions finally took the lead and forced Quinnipiac to take a timeout with the score at 11-10. Unfortunately, they did not enjoy the lead for very long, as the Bobcats quickly tied up the game and took back the lead with an 8-0 run. Columbia was unable to string together a successful comeback and the Bobcats won this set 25-17.
 
The third set began with both teams trading blows, including back-to-back kills from Justema who was on fire all night. The Lions took an early lead thanks to a Holsen kill and service ace, but the Bobcats quickly fought back and gained a five-point lead. Kills from Holsen, Gioranidi, and Franklin helped the Lions tie up the game again at 18-18, but again it was the Bobcats who would prevail late in the game. Quinnipiac finished the game on a 7-2 run to win the set 25-20, clinching a 3-0 victory.
 
Justema led the team in kills with nine. Van der Heide's 22 assists were the best on the team. Park led the team with her nine digs.
 
 

The Lions' next match is against Stony Brook on Wednesday, September 6th at 6:30 p.m., and their next home outing is on Friday, September 8th against Manhattan at 7:00 p.m.

For the latest on Columbia volleyball, follow @CULionsVB on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.