Ivy League Play Opens for Volleyball, Win Streak Ends At Two Games

Fatigue seemed to play a significant factor for Columbia’s volleyball team as it dropped its league opener against Cornell 3-1 (21-30, 17-30, 30-24, 21-30). After facing Manhattan College Wednesday and then Utah Valley State, Quinnipiac, and NJIY on Friday and Saturday at the NJIT Tournament, the Lions found themselves playing from behind for most of the game against an energized Cornell squad.

The Big Red came out strong early, with the offense firing on all cylinders as four players—Erin McCarthy, Katie Marshall, Juliana Rogers, and Kathryn Woodbury—recorded double-digits in kills. With a 2-0 lead it seemed as though Cornell would get an early bus ride back to Ithaca with a 3-0 sweep.

After both teams returned from the locker rooms, the Lions began to show signs of life.
Columbia trailed early but fought back valiantly in the third set, tying the score twice, at 13 and 14. The Lions grabbed the lead at 15-14 and managed to salvage a 30-24 win to avoid a sweep.

But the Lions’ momentum was short-lived, as Cornell opened the next set with five unanswered points on their way to a 30-21 win. With the victory, the Big Red improved their record to 4-6, 1-0 in the Ivy League.

Senior Natalie Gerling and junior Amalia Viti combined for 23 kills, as the Lions fell to 3-9, 0-1 in league play.

Head coach Brie Katz said that while her players did get a sufficient amount of rest, both mentally and physically after playing five games in as many days, there was a noticeable toll taken on her players.

“We’ll never schedule like that again,” she said.

Columbia must take advantage of its schedule and rest this week, as it will be back on the road again Friday. In search of their first league win, the Lions travel to Princeton first and then Penn on Saturday to finish the trip.