PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Columbia volleyball team picked up its second win of the young 2024 season on Friday evening in the opener of the Friar Classic, defeating the Stonehill Skyhawks in four sets (28-26, 22-25, 25-21, 25-14) behind a career-night from Hailee Watts.
Later in the night, the Lions fell to Providence in four sets (25-21, 21-25, 25-13, 25-19).
GAME 1
The Skyhawks started off hot, taking an early 6-3 lead but it did not last long. A 4-0 Lion run highlighted by a service ace from
Delaney Seaman gave Columbia a one-point lead. Both teams went back and forth, exchanging leads six times before a kill from Georgia Murphy gave Stonehill a 22-21 lead. The Lions answered with a mini 3-0 run sparked by a kill from
Harper Justema to re-take the lead at 24-22. The Skyhawks fought off two set points, and eventually re-gained control at 26-25. However, the Lions would not be denied as kills from Justema and
Hailee Watts put Columbia back in front, and a Skyhawk attack finished things off.
Stonehill came back strong in the second set, once again taking an early 10-4 lead. The Lions fought back again, cutting the deficit to just one point three different times, but this time the Skyhawks would not be denied as they held on for a 25-22 win to even up the match.
Watts put the team on her back early in set three, crushing three kills and serving up an ace to give the Lions an early 7-3 lead. That four-point lead remained until it was 18-14, but Stonehill would score six of the next eight points to even things up at 20-20. Three of the next four rallies ended via a Watts kill, and Justema ended things with a kill of her own to give Columbia a 2-1 edge in the match.
The Lions could sense victory, and played like it in the fourth set. The Skyhawks led 7-6 early, but from that point on it was all Columbia. The Lions went on a 6-0 run capped by another kill from Watts to take a 12-7 lead, and after two consecutive Stonehill points, Columbia went on another 9-0 run to all but wrap things up. Justema and Avery Jones put the finishing touches on the Lions' second win of the season with a combined block.
Watts collected a career-high 18 kills in the match. Justema added 11.5 points thanks to seven total blocks and seven kills. Julianna Williamson and Amanda Holsen combined for 15 kills. Ruby van der Heide had a team-high 23 assists while Clara Yu added a career-high 22 assists. Delaney Seaman matched her career-high with four aces while leading the team with 10 digs.
GAME 2
Watts picked up right where she left off in the first game, finishing off two of the first three rallies with two kills. A kill from Holsen gave Columbia its largest lead of the set at 17-13, but Providence would not be denied. Two Lion timeouts could not slow down the Friar attack, as they scored 12 of the next 15 points to take a 1-0 advantage in the match.
The Lions had an answer, storming back in the second set. Once again, Columbia took a 17-13 lead but this time the Lions would not relinquish it. The Friars cut the deficit to one point multiple times, but Columbia scored four unanswered points to close things out, as a kill from Williamson gave the Lions a set point, and an ace from van der Heide ended Providence's hopes of a comeback.
The Friars didn't take the loss lightly, dominating set three in response. Providence got out to an early lead, and cruised to a 25-13 win. The Friars followed that up with a 25-19 win in the fourth set to secure the match.
Holsen led Columbia with 11 kills in the match, and Watts added 10 more. Watts also added 10 digs for a double-double. Yu had her first career double-double with 14 assists and 10 digs, and van der Heide also had a double-double with 14 assists and 10 digs.
The Lions will return to action tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. against the St. Peter's Peacocks in the final game of the Friar Classic.
For the latest on Columbia volleyball, follow @CULionsVB on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
