Volleyball Dealt Two Losses by League Leaders

After hosting two matches this weekend against Penn and league-leader Princeton this weekend, Columbia volleyball (3-17, 0-9 Ivy) finds itself two losses deeper in the bottom of the Ivy League standings. With those back-to-back losses, Columbia’s winless streak in the Ivy League is now at nine games.

The Lions made the visiting Penn team (13-5, 7-2 Ivy) work for their win on Friday. Columbia held a six-point advantage in game one, 18-12, before the Quakers mounted a successful comeback to tie the score. The lead swung back and forth in the final points, but in the end Penn secured the 30-28 victory. Penn didn’t let the second game get as close and took the 30-16 win without difficulty.

The third game, though, was also no cruise for the second-placed Penn volleyball squad. The Quakers got off to a comfortable 6-0 start and later led 18-10, but the security was not to last. Down 24-19, the Lions needed a strong set of serves if they wanted a chance of claiming the match. They got it from freshman Katie Mitchell, and Columbia was right on Penn’s tail late, 24-23. Knotting the game at 28, 29, and 30, the Lions stayed in stride but were finally overcome by a Penn kill and a Columbia error. The game and the match belonged to Penn.

The next day, Columbia took the court against conference-leaders Princeton (17-3, 9-0 Ivy). The Tigers hadn’t lost a match this season to an Ivy League opponent. They still haven’t, as they took the match from their Columbia hosts in three games.

Game one began with a slim 4-1 advantage for the Lions that proved evanescent. The two teams traded leads until the score lay still at 14. Princeton turned on the back burners and gradually overtook the Lions. Game one went Princeton’s way, 30-23.

Princeton seemed to find their pace for game two, getting started early and finishing hard. From the first serve to the 30-19 final, game two belonged to the first-place Tigers.

Again for game three, the Lions offered a last ditch challenge to their opponents. In fact, the Columbia squad held Princeton in check all the way to their 11-10 lead. But it was the Tigers who proved they wanted the game more, tearing open the game with a staggering 20-5 run to win 30-19.

Columbia will face its final nonconference opponent, Fordham, on Tuesday at 7 p.m.