Columbia
7-7,1-4Ivy League
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Dartmouth
6-9,0-5Ivy League
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dartmouth | 25 | 25 | 20 | 13 | 9 | 2 |
| Columbia | 20 | 16 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
Volleyball Rallies Past Dartmouth in Five Sets
10/10/2026 8:24:00 PM | Volleyball
Lions get big night from Delaney Seaman
NEW YORK — Columbia rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat Dartmouth, 3-2, in a Saturday night thriller at Levien Gym. After dropping the first two sets, 20-25 and 16-25, the Lions won the final three sets, 25-20, 25-13 and 15-9, to secure the comeback victory.
Attack errors plagued the Lions (7-7, 1-4 Ivy) early, hitting 18 in the first two frames. But the Lions found their rhythm offensively, finishing with 57 kills, 11 service aces, and 60 digs. As a team, the Lions hit .197 on the evening and improved to 6-1 on the year, finishing with more kills than their opponent.
Elise Hiemstra led Columbia with 15 kills, while Elena Maynulet added 12 kills and 14 digs for her fifth double-double of the year and 13th of her career. Clara Yu recorded 26 assists and 14 digs, while Delaney Seaman had a career night, finishing four aces shy of Columbia's first triple-double in recent memory. Seaman finished with 11 assists, 13 digs, and a career-high six service aces.
Dartmouth (6-9, 0-5 Ivy) was sensational at the net, tallying 13.5 blocks, which contributed to the Lions' early struggles on the attack. Clementine Tebbe led the Big Green with six total blocks. She was one of five Dartmouth players to record at least two blocks.The Big Green hit .206, finishing with 47 kills on 136 swings. Riley Imamura led the team with 13 kills. Maddie LaFata had 11 kills on 19 swings. Sophia Gagnepain led with 18 digs.
In the opening set, Columbia took a 4-2 lead on kills from Maynulet and Avery Jones and a service ace from Seaman. Dartmouth responded with a six-point run to take an 8-4 advantage, using Columbia attack errors and blocks to shift the momentum.
The Lions worked to close the gap, with kills from Charlotte Gravlee and Kylee Eze helping Columbia pull within 11-9. Dartmouth answered with another extended run, scoring eight of the next nine points to build a 17-9 lead. The Lions stayed within three points late, but Dartmouth held on to take the opening set, 25-20.
The second set stayed close early, with Columbia tying at 2-2 on a kill from Jones. Dartmouth then scored four straight points to lead 6-2. The Lions stayed within one at 7-6 before Dartmouth created separation with a five-point run to lead 12-7 on a kill from Jaida Cekic.
Columbia continued to find points through Maynulet and Alexia Cornea, but Dartmouth maintained its advantage. The Big Green extended their lead to 16-10 and later scored three consecutive points to lead 23-15. Dartmouth closed out the set, 25-16, to take a 2-0 match lead.
Down two sets, Columbia responded with a stronger offensive performance in the third set. Hiemstra caught fire, smashing six of her 15 kills. The teams traded points early before the Lions tied the score at 8-8 on a Yu service ace and took a 9-8 lead on a kill from Danica Nordlicht.
After Dartmouth pulled even, Columbia scored four consecutive points to take a 14-10 advantage. Hiemstra supplied three kills during the stretch, while Maynulet added a point to help the Lions take control.
Columbia continued to build its lead, with Hiemstra and Yu connecting on key kills as the Lions moved ahead 17-11. Dartmouth attempted to rally, but Columbia maintained its advantage through the closing points. Seaman recorded a service ace to push the lead to 24-18, and Hiemstra finished the set with a kill to seal a 25-20 win.
Columbia carried its momentum into the fourth set, overcoming an early 2-0 deficit to take a 5-2 lead. Kills from Hiemstra and Jones sparked the run, while Dartmouth errors helped the Lions.
Columbia continued to pressure Dartmouth, extending the lead to 11-4 with a four-point stretch highlighted by kills from Eze and Hiemstra. Dartmouth briefly cut into the margin, but the Lions responded with another three-point run to move ahead 14-9.
Columbia then took control late in the set. Maynulet recorded consecutive kills, and a Dartmouth attack error helped the Lions move ahead 17-9. Maynulet added a service ace, followed by a Nordlicht kill and another Seaman ace, as Columbia extended its lead to 22-11. Mo delivered a service ace to give the Lions set point, and Dartmouth's service error ended the set at 25-13, forcing a decisive fifth set.
As a team, the Lions finished with 11 service aces, the fourth time this season Columbia has reached double figures in service aces.
Dartmouth opened the deciding set with a 2-0 lead, but Columbia quickly answered. Yu recorded a kill, and a Dartmouth attack error tied the score at 2-2. Hiemstra and Jones followed with consecutive kills to give the Lions a 4-2 lead.
After Dartmouth tied the set at 4-4, Seaman delivered back-to-back service aces to put Columbia ahead 6-4. Hiemstra added a kill and a service ace as the Lions stretched their lead to 10-6.
Columbia maintained its advantage through the final points. Mo recorded a kill to help make it 11-7, and Maynulet added another kill to extend the lead to 12-7. A Columbia block from Nordlicht and Jones pushed the advantage to 14-8 before Maynulet finished the match with a kill, completing the Lions' comeback with a 15-9 fifth-set win.
Saturday's win snapped an 11-match skid for Columbia against the Big Green. It was also Columbia's first Ivy League win since the Lions defeated Harvard in five sets on Nov. 2, 2024.
The Lions return to action next Friday when they take on Yale at 6 p.m. in New Haven. Columbia wraps up the road trip taking on Brown in Providence on Saturday. That match is scheduled for a 5 p.m. first serve.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
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