Volleyball Falls to Tigers in Three

Friday, November 7

New York, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Columbia University

2-19,0-11Ivy League

Princeton

13-6,8-3Ivy League

Princeton

Columbia

11/7/2025 9:00:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Atkins sets career-high for kills in a season

NEW YORK — Columbia showed stretches of strong execution and timely blocking, but Princeton's efficiency at the net proved the difference as the Lions fell 3–0 (25–20, 25–14, 25–20) Friday night inside Levien Gymnasium.

Senior outside hitter Eva Atkins led Columbia (2-19, 0-11 Ivy League) with 11 kills, hitting .333, while adding three blocks. The 11 kills give her 180 for the year, which is a new career-high for kills in a season. Clara Yu paced the offense with 16 assists, and libero Victoria Gao anchored the floor defense with nine digs and two service aces. Senior middle Juliana Williamson added four blocks to help Columbia finish with six total team blocks.

Princeton (13-6, 8-3 Ivy) was led by middle blocker Lucia Scalamandré, who finished with a match-high 17 kills on an .800 hitting percentage while contributing four blocks. Setter Sydney Draper directed the attack with 35 assists. Princeton also applied pressure from the service line all night, finishing with 10 aces, including key runs in the second and third sets that shifted momentum.

Columbia took the early momentum, establishing its block early as Atkins and Williamson teamed up on multiple stops at the net. Gao's back-to-back service aces then pushed the Lions ahead 16–13 in the middle stages. Atkins sparked the attack with four kills in the set, and Maria Happ and Avery Jones added key swings to keep the Lions level through 18–18. However, Princeton closed with a 7–2 run, capped off by a Columbia service error.

In the second set, Atkins struck twice early, and Gao again energized the defense with multiple digs to help Columbia trade points to open the set. But Princeton found rhythm midway through the frame, using tough serving and a quick offensive tempo to build separation. Jones chipped in two kills late, and Yu distributed efficiently across the front row, but the Tigers' .548 hitting percentage in the set proved too much to overcome.

Columbia responded with its strongest start of the night, jumping ahead with kills from Josie Zynczak, Atkins, and Hanna Vorhies, who made an immediate impact off the bench. Yu sparked a 4–0 run with a service ace followed by consecutive assists that extended the lead to 10–3. Princeton answered with pressure from the service line to regain momentum, though the Lions continued to battle, with Happ and Maynulet scoring late to keep the set within reach. With the score tied 16-all, the Tigers went on a 9-4 run to close out the match.

Columbia returns to action tomorrow night at 6 p.m. when the Lions host Penn. Saturday's match will be Senior Night; Columbia will pay tribute to its six senior student athletes in a pregame ceremony.

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