Saturday, November 8
New York, N.Y.
6:00 PM
Columbia University
2-20,0-12Ivy League
1
vs
3
Penn
11-11,5-7Ivy League
1
2
3
4
F
Penn
25
24
25
25
3
Columbia
16
26
19
13
1
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Stockton Photo, Inc.
Volleyball Battles But Falls to Penn on Senior Night
11/8/2025 8:50:00 PM | Volleyball
Lions paid tribute to six seniors prior to the match
NEW YORK — Columbia volleyball used a strong offensive surge in the second set and a standout night from seniors Eva Atkins and Juliana Williamson, but Penn held a steady attack to earn a 3–1 victory (25–16, 24–26, 25–19, 25–13) on Saturday evening inside Levien Gymnasium.
Atkins led all players with 16 kills on .364 hitting, while Williamson added 12 kills and a team-high four blocks. Setter Ruby van der Heide directed the attack with 41 assists, and libero Presley Liberty anchored the defense with 14 digs while adding a pair of service aces. First-year outside hitter Elena Maynulet finished with a double-double, recording 12 kills and 11 digs; she also had two aces.
As a team, Columbia (2–20, 0–12 Ivy League) totaled 50 kills on .188 hitting, highlighted by a sharp .324 performance in the second set. Penn (11–11, 5–7 Ivy League) hit .363 overall and finished with 52 kills and eight aces.
The Quakers were led by outside hitters Adell Murray and Jenna Garner each tallied 13 and 11 kills, respectively, while middle Haley Kerstetter hit .615 with six blocks. Setter Emery Moore guided the offense with 38 assists, and libero Abigail Reid anchored the back row with 15 digs. Penn also controlled points at the service line, registering eight aces in the win.
Columbia opened the match on a 6–0 run, sparked by an ace from Maynulet and kills from Atkins and Holsen. Holsen had her best match of the season, finishing with five kills and four digs. The five kills bring her career total to 204. The Lions hit .172 in the frame, but Penn countered with one of its best offensive sets of the night, hitting .481 with 13 kills and no attack errors. After Columbia's early lead, Penn responded with a 10-4 run to tie the match at 10 and never trailed again, closing the set with steady side-out play and five kills from Adell Murray.
Columbia responded with its strongest set of the night, hitting .324 with 18 kills and earning ties on 13 different points in a back-and-forth second frame. After trading points into the late stages, Atkins delivered three key kills to help pull Columbia even at 24–24. Williamson then put the Lions ahead with a kill on the left pin before Liberty sealed the set at 26–24 with a service ace down the sideline. Williamson posted five kills in the frame, while van der Heide assisted on 14 of Columbia's kills.
Penn regained momentum in the third set with a disciplined block and transition attack, hitting .357 in the set while holding Columbia to .116. A 6–1 Penn run midway through the action created separation at 14–9. Atkins and Williamson each added three kills, while Maynulet contributed a service ace and strong passing to keep Columbia within reach, but Penn closed out the set behind consecutive kills from Jenna Garner to take a 2–1 match lead.
In the fourth and final set, the Lions stayed tight early, trading points to 7–7, before a 10–2 Penn run created a decisive gap. Columbia hit .125 with nine kills in the frame, but Penn's attack continued to find ways around the block, finishing the set at .526. Liberty added another ace, and Williamson recorded three late kills, but Penn secured the match on a service ace.
Saturday night's match was Columbia's annual Senior Night contest. The Lions paid tribute to its six seniors —Eva Atkins, Amanda Holsen, Presley Liberty, Ruby van der Heide, Hanna Vorhies, and Juliana Williamson — in a special pregame ceremony prior to the match.
The Lions wrap up the season next weekend when they take on Brown and Yale on the road. Friday's match against Brown is slated for a 6 p.m. first serve in Providence. Columbia finishes the 2025 campaign on Saturday at Yale. That match is also scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
For the latest on Columbia volleyball, follow @CULionsVB on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Atkins led all players with 16 kills on .364 hitting, while Williamson added 12 kills and a team-high four blocks. Setter Ruby van der Heide directed the attack with 41 assists, and libero Presley Liberty anchored the defense with 14 digs while adding a pair of service aces. First-year outside hitter Elena Maynulet finished with a double-double, recording 12 kills and 11 digs; she also had two aces.
As a team, Columbia (2–20, 0–12 Ivy League) totaled 50 kills on .188 hitting, highlighted by a sharp .324 performance in the second set. Penn (11–11, 5–7 Ivy League) hit .363 overall and finished with 52 kills and eight aces.
The Quakers were led by outside hitters Adell Murray and Jenna Garner each tallied 13 and 11 kills, respectively, while middle Haley Kerstetter hit .615 with six blocks. Setter Emery Moore guided the offense with 38 assists, and libero Abigail Reid anchored the back row with 15 digs. Penn also controlled points at the service line, registering eight aces in the win.
Columbia opened the match on a 6–0 run, sparked by an ace from Maynulet and kills from Atkins and Holsen. Holsen had her best match of the season, finishing with five kills and four digs. The five kills bring her career total to 204. The Lions hit .172 in the frame, but Penn countered with one of its best offensive sets of the night, hitting .481 with 13 kills and no attack errors. After Columbia's early lead, Penn responded with a 10-4 run to tie the match at 10 and never trailed again, closing the set with steady side-out play and five kills from Adell Murray.
Columbia responded with its strongest set of the night, hitting .324 with 18 kills and earning ties on 13 different points in a back-and-forth second frame. After trading points into the late stages, Atkins delivered three key kills to help pull Columbia even at 24–24. Williamson then put the Lions ahead with a kill on the left pin before Liberty sealed the set at 26–24 with a service ace down the sideline. Williamson posted five kills in the frame, while van der Heide assisted on 14 of Columbia's kills.
Penn regained momentum in the third set with a disciplined block and transition attack, hitting .357 in the set while holding Columbia to .116. A 6–1 Penn run midway through the action created separation at 14–9. Atkins and Williamson each added three kills, while Maynulet contributed a service ace and strong passing to keep Columbia within reach, but Penn closed out the set behind consecutive kills from Jenna Garner to take a 2–1 match lead.
In the fourth and final set, the Lions stayed tight early, trading points to 7–7, before a 10–2 Penn run created a decisive gap. Columbia hit .125 with nine kills in the frame, but Penn's attack continued to find ways around the block, finishing the set at .526. Liberty added another ace, and Williamson recorded three late kills, but Penn secured the match on a service ace.
Saturday night's match was Columbia's annual Senior Night contest. The Lions paid tribute to its six seniors —Eva Atkins, Amanda Holsen, Presley Liberty, Ruby van der Heide, Hanna Vorhies, and Juliana Williamson — in a special pregame ceremony prior to the match.
The Lions wrap up the season next weekend when they take on Brown and Yale on the road. Friday's match against Brown is slated for a 6 p.m. first serve in Providence. Columbia finishes the 2025 campaign on Saturday at Yale. That match is also scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
For the latest on Columbia volleyball, follow @CULionsVB on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Team Stats
Penn
CU
Kills
52
50
Errors
11
25
Attempts
113
133
Hitting %
.363
.188
Points
69.0
63.0
Assists
50
47
Aces
8
5
Blocks
9
8
Game Leaders
Kills
16
Aces
0
Blocks
1
Kills
12
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
12
Aces
2
Blocks
1
Kills
5
Aces
0
Blocks
0
Players Mentioned
OPP
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