The women’s volleyball team won the Columbia Classic in come-from-behind fashion this weekend, triumphing in a five-setter in the championship match.
In winning the tournament, the Lions were led by tournament MVP Erin Longinotti and all-tournament team members Megan Gaughn and Sarah Thompson.
Longinotti, a freshman, had 37 kills, 24 digs and hit a solid .248 over the tournament’s three matches. Gaughn, also a freshman and reigning Ivy League player and rookie of the week, had 22 kills, and 11 digs. Rounding out the trio was Thompson, a junior, who finished with 27 kills, 12 blocks, and 12 digs.
The Lions found themselves down two games to none in the championship match but managed to claw their way back and capture the next three. Columbia won game three 25-15 after three straight kills by Longinotti put the Lions ahead for good. In the fourth game, Longinotti once again put the Lions on top, this time 20-14. Strong serving by freshmen Kelsey Musselman and an attack error by rival Lehigh sealed the game and prompted the deciding set.
Riding the momentum, Columbia raced out to a 14-9 lead and managed to hold off a Lehigh comeback to win the fifth match, winning the tournament in dramatic fashion.
In an earlier match, the Light Blue beat Fairleigh Dickinson 3-1 behind a strong performance from Thompson, who notched 15 kills. She was one of three Lions to post double-digit kills in the match. Joining her in the stats column were Longinotti with 12 kills and sophomore Monique Roberts with 10.
Columbia took the first seven points against FDU in game one to set the tone and stymied a Knights comeback en route to a 25-15 victory. Fairleigh Dickinson got ahead in game two and managed to even the overall score at one-all with a tight 25-23 win. Columbia took the next two games comfortably to advance to face Lehigh in the final.
Columbia’s next match will be its Ivy League opener, when Cornell comes to Levien Gymnasium on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m.
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