Columbia University
Manhattan
Volleyball to Host Second Tournament at Levien this Weekend
9/7/2023 6:00:00 PM | Volleyball
Manhattan, Morgan State, and Rutgers will partake
FULL TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
The tournament begins on Friday at 3:00 p.m. with a neutral match between Rutgers and Morgan State prior to Columbia's first game against Manhattan later that night. In total, there will be five matches played between Friday and Saturday. All five matches will be streamed via ESPN+ and live stats will be available HERE. The full schedule can be found below.
Friday, September 8: Rutgers vs Morgan State (3:00 p.m.) - STREAM
Friday, September 8: Columbia vs Manhattan (7:00 p.m.) - STREAM
Saturday, September 9: Columbia vs Morgan State (11:00 a.m.) - STREAM
Saturday, September 9: Manhattan vs Morgan State (2:00 p.m.) - STREAM
Saturday, September 9: Columbia vs Rutgers (6:30 p.m.) - STREAM
LAST TIME OUT
After an 0-3 start to the season in the Lions' first tournament of the year at Levien last weekend, the team took a midweek trip upstate to take on the Stony Brook Seawolves on Wednesday.
The Lions never really found their footing in the match. as the Seawolves led wire to wire and never relinquished the lead in all three sets. The most competitive game was set two. Despite Stony Brook quickly gaining a 3-0 advantage, Avery Jones and Watts smacked back-to-back kills to bring the Lions within one point. The Lions and Seawolves would go back-and forth for a few rallies, with Amanda Holsen smacking two kills along the way, until the score was tied up at 9-9. Stony Brook would then go on 5-0 run to take a 14-9 lead and the Seawolves would never look back. Stony Brook would go on to earn the sweep.
Holsen and Hailee Watts each had six kills to lead Columbia. Jones and Anna Gioranidi both had four kills. First-year Delaney Seaman had a career-high seven digs.
TAKING A LEAP
To begin the 2023 season, Columbia's hitters have stepped up their game and have been playing the best volleyball of their careers. This comes after some departures from last year's team left some major shoes to fill, and multiple Lions have stepped up to the plate when called upon.
Eva Atkins smacked a career-high 12 kills in the season opener against Fordham last Friday, and followed it up with an even better performance the next day against Virginia. A big part of the Lions' bid to upset the Virginia Cavaliers, Atkins crushed another career-high in kills with 13 in the five set thriller. She also has five total blocks on the year.
Amanda Holsen has also broken out to start 2023. Just like Atkins, Holsen collected a career-high 10 kills in the season opener against Fordham, and then one-upped herself with a career-high 12 kills in the battle against Virginia. The Illinois product has also amassed 12 digs, two blocks, and two assists on the year.
Junior Hailee Watts is also off to the best start of her career, also notching a career-high with 12 kills in the close loss to the Cavaliers. Watts has started all four games for the Lions so far, and her 27 kills so far this season is already more than her first year and sophomore year combined. She has also been valuable on defense, and is third on the team in digs with 21.
Although she isn't a hitter, Yooni Park has also stepped up as the primary libero to begin the year. A noticeable pattern, Park set a career-high with 10 digs in the opener against Fordham, and then shattered that mark the next afternoon with a massive 22 digs against Virginia.
SCOUTING THE FIELD
Manhattan enters the weekend 0-6, and is fresh off three losses (two in straight sets) at the Red Flash Classic in Pennsylvania.
Morgan State comes into the tournament at 2-6, with one of its two victories coming against fellow Ivy League member Dartmouth.
Rutgers has been on fire to start the year, and enters the weekend at 5-1. The Scarlett Knights lone loss has been in five sets to NC State, while their most recent win came against Rider.
ON DECK
The Lions will be back in action next weekend, competing in their first road tournament of the season. It won't be a long trip, as Columbia heads to Queens for the Red Storm Invitational hosted by St John's. While there, the Lions will square off against Bryant on Friday and Buffalo on Saturday. First serve on Friday is set for 4:30 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.
