Friday, September 11
Erie, Pa.
1:00 PM
Columbia
4-0,0-0Ivy League
3
at
1
Mercyhurst
2-5,0-0NEC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 25 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 3 |
| Mercyhurst | 20 | 25 | 23 | 24 | 1 |
Photo by: Columbia University Athletics / Lem Photography
Volleyball Off to Best Start in Program History
9/11/2026 6:25:00 PM | Volleyball
Lions 5-0 start tied with 1999 team
ERIE, Pa. – The Columbia women's volleyball team is off to its best start in program history following a pair of 3-1 victories to open the Laker Invitational. The Lions opened the tournament with a win over host Mercyhurst before coming back to defeat Niagara in the nightcap.
Columbia (5-0) was led by first-year outside hitter Alexia Cornea, who had 24 kills over the two matches, while hitting .327. Elena Maynulet returned to the lineup and recorded 22 kills over two matches and 21 digs.
The Lions' depth was on display over the two matches. Avery Jones, Danica Nordlicht, and Josie Zynczak all finished in double figures in kills on the day. Clara Yu and Claire Mo ran the Lions' attack, with the duo finishing with 39 and 35 assists, respectively. Yu also added eight service aces.
GAME ONE RECAP
In the opening set against Mercyhurst (2-5), the Lions trailed early. Madison Hsieh provided the spark for Columbia, with four aces down the stretch. Three straight aces from the senior put the Lions out front for good, 16-14. From there, Columbia took control, with three consecutive kills by Cornea ending the set for the Lions, 25-20.
The Lakers evened up the match, taking the second set 25-20. Columbia managed just nine kills in the set, while Mercyhurst notched 17 while hitting .455.
The Lions rallied back to take the second and third sets. In the third, Columbia trailed 22-18 late but went on a 4-0 run to take a 22-20 advantage. Jones made it 23-22 with a cross-court kill. Back-to-back attack errors by the Lakers gave Columbia the set.
After hitting just three attack errors in the first two sets, Mercyhurst hit 18 in the final two frames. In the fourth and final set, the Lakers led 15-10, but Columbia roared back, eventually tying the set at 17 on a bad set by the Lakers. Columbia put the set away 26-24 thanks to a pair of Mercyhurst attack errors.
Columbia hit .215 as a team. Cornea led the way for the Lions with 13 kills on 29 swings for a .345 attack percentage. Mercyhurst finished the match hitting .270. Julia Shephard was a thorn in the Lions' side; she hit a match-high 18 kills while hitting .448.
MATCH TWO RECAP
Columbia came out sluggish in the second match of the afternoon. Niagara (0-5) took advantage, taking a 15-7 lead early. Attack errors plagued the Lions during that stretch, hitting five of their eight errors in the early going.
The Lions rebounded quickly in the second set. Columbia dominated the net thanks to a trio of block assists from Danica Nordlitch. Her back-to-back blocks early in the frame ignited an 11-1 run that saw Columbia run away with the set 25-9. The Lions hit .550 in the second, smashing 12 kills on 20 swings with just one error. The Purple Eagles were held to a -0.22 attack percentage in the second.
Columbia kept the momentum going with another dominant set, winning the third 25-17. On the attack, Cornea set the tone, tallying five of her 10 kills in the frame. The Lions were efficient again, hitting .297, while the Purple Eagles hit .100.
The Lions put the match away with a strong showing in the fourth set. Josie Zynczak had five of her career-high nine kills in the final frame. Yu got the momentum in the Lions' favor with three straight aces to give Columbia a 12-10 lead.
Maynulet notched her third double-double of the season in an all-around stellar performance. She finished with 10 kills and a match-high 13 digs; she also had four aces. Nordlicht finished with 10 kills and four total blocks. Cornea led the Lions with 11 kills while hitting .304.
Columbia returns to action Saturday at 11 a.m. when they wrap up the Laker Invitational, taking on Kent State.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
For the latest on Columbia volleyball, follow @CULionsVB on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Columbia (5-0) was led by first-year outside hitter Alexia Cornea, who had 24 kills over the two matches, while hitting .327. Elena Maynulet returned to the lineup and recorded 22 kills over two matches and 21 digs.
The Lions' depth was on display over the two matches. Avery Jones, Danica Nordlicht, and Josie Zynczak all finished in double figures in kills on the day. Clara Yu and Claire Mo ran the Lions' attack, with the duo finishing with 39 and 35 assists, respectively. Yu also added eight service aces.
GAME ONE RECAP
In the opening set against Mercyhurst (2-5), the Lions trailed early. Madison Hsieh provided the spark for Columbia, with four aces down the stretch. Three straight aces from the senior put the Lions out front for good, 16-14. From there, Columbia took control, with three consecutive kills by Cornea ending the set for the Lions, 25-20.
The Lakers evened up the match, taking the second set 25-20. Columbia managed just nine kills in the set, while Mercyhurst notched 17 while hitting .455.
The Lions rallied back to take the second and third sets. In the third, Columbia trailed 22-18 late but went on a 4-0 run to take a 22-20 advantage. Jones made it 23-22 with a cross-court kill. Back-to-back attack errors by the Lakers gave Columbia the set.
After hitting just three attack errors in the first two sets, Mercyhurst hit 18 in the final two frames. In the fourth and final set, the Lakers led 15-10, but Columbia roared back, eventually tying the set at 17 on a bad set by the Lakers. Columbia put the set away 26-24 thanks to a pair of Mercyhurst attack errors.
Columbia hit .215 as a team. Cornea led the way for the Lions with 13 kills on 29 swings for a .345 attack percentage. Mercyhurst finished the match hitting .270. Julia Shephard was a thorn in the Lions' side; she hit a match-high 18 kills while hitting .448.
MATCH TWO RECAP
Columbia came out sluggish in the second match of the afternoon. Niagara (0-5) took advantage, taking a 15-7 lead early. Attack errors plagued the Lions during that stretch, hitting five of their eight errors in the early going.
The Lions rebounded quickly in the second set. Columbia dominated the net thanks to a trio of block assists from Danica Nordlitch. Her back-to-back blocks early in the frame ignited an 11-1 run that saw Columbia run away with the set 25-9. The Lions hit .550 in the second, smashing 12 kills on 20 swings with just one error. The Purple Eagles were held to a -0.22 attack percentage in the second.
Columbia kept the momentum going with another dominant set, winning the third 25-17. On the attack, Cornea set the tone, tallying five of her 10 kills in the frame. The Lions were efficient again, hitting .297, while the Purple Eagles hit .100.
The Lions put the match away with a strong showing in the fourth set. Josie Zynczak had five of her career-high nine kills in the final frame. Yu got the momentum in the Lions' favor with three straight aces to give Columbia a 12-10 lead.
Maynulet notched her third double-double of the season in an all-around stellar performance. She finished with 10 kills and a match-high 13 digs; she also had four aces. Nordlicht finished with 10 kills and four total blocks. Cornea led the Lions with 11 kills while hitting .304.
Columbia returns to action Saturday at 11 a.m. when they wrap up the Laker Invitational, taking on Kent State.
FOLLOWING THE LIONS
For the latest on Columbia volleyball, follow @CULionsVB on Twitter and Instagram, and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
Players Mentioned
OH
/ Volleyball
DS/L
/ Volleyball
OPP
/ Volleyball
OH
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
MB
/ Volleyball
S
/ Volleyball
OH
/ VolleyballTeam Stats
CU
Mercy
Kills
46
59
Errors
17
21
Attempts
135
141
Hitting %
.215
.270
Points
64.0
71.0
Assists
42
52
Aces
10
4
Blocks
8
8
Game Leaders
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
3
Kills
12
Aces
1
Blocks
0
Kills
6
Aces
0
Blocks
2
Kills
4
Aces
0
Blocks
1
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