Men’s swimming and diving was smoked by the Ivy League’s best on Friday, losing to Harvard 169.5-129.5. While the Lions eked out wins in medley and freestyle sprinting events, they were swept in the freestyle distance and diving events. This is Columbia’s 14th straight dual loss to the Crimson, although it put down its smallest margin of loss since 2013.

Men’s swimming and diving posted sounding victories over Army, Penn, and Yale to open its season. Columbia won 179-121 and set a pool record against Penn, before triumphing over Yale 172-128.

Volleyball split its final games of the season, losing 3-2 at Dartmouth on Friday and then winning 3-2 at Harvard on Saturday in a tenacious effort to end the season on a high note. The Lions went 12-12 overall, breaking even for the first time since their last winning season in 2016, and won five Ivy League games.

In volleyball’s last homestand of the season, the Lions fell just short. Despite an outstanding performance from first-year outside hitter Pierce Woodall, Brown overpowered the Lions 3-1 on Friday night. Then on Saturday, Columbia could not break through a stifling Yale defense on Senior Night, falling 3-0 to the 2018 Ivy League Champions in front of a packed gymnasium.

Chichi Ikwuazom is going down in the record books. The senior middle blocker set a new Columbia single-season record for most kills after dominating this weekend’s homestand. The Lions beat Penn 3-1 in Friday’s matchup, but then lost on Saturday in four sets to current Ivy leader Princeton after a comeback effort fell short in overtime of the fourth set. Ikwuazom shone in both games.

The ball seems to be floating. Junior setter Audrey Cheng sends it spinning slowly toward the center of the court and steps away. All eyes are on senior middle blocker Chichi Ikwuazom, who takes one step before exploding into the air, arm raised. The gym holds its breath. Ikwuazom swings and smashes the ball through the arms of the blockers, off the hands of the defense, and out of play. Kill by Ikwuazom—game over.

The bleachers roar as senior guard Janiya Clemmons jumps, spins, and strikes a pose before leaping into the air to chest-bump her teammate. No baskets have been scored, no outrageous three-pointers shot or slick moves made around the defender. But Clemmons and the team promise the crowd one thing: Many are coming.

After youth and energy helped Columbia volleyball dominate the early portion of the season, fatigue has defined volleyball’s last two weeks. Going against the best in the Ivy League, the Lions have lost three straight matches, winning only one of ten sets. After being swept by 2018 Ivy League Champion Yale, the Lions lost in four sets at Brown and were swept again at home by the current conference leader, Cornell.

The day was beautiful, crisp, and picturesque. A gentle breeze ruffled the water of the Charles River as the autumn sun illuminated the historic Eliot Bridge. However, the fall quiet was broken by a man in a Massachusetts Institute of Technology Crew cap, whipping his arm from side to side and screaming down at the river, “Coxswain! Hard to port! Turn, turn, turn!”

After registering its first Ivy win last weekend, Columbia volleyball knew replicating those results at this weekend’s homestand would be pivotal to its success this season. The Lions rose to the challenge, sweeping a struggling Harvard team 3-0 on Friday. The Light Blue continued its streak the next day, dominating the Ivy League’s best defense with a 3-1 win over Dartmouth on Saturday.