Columbia Volleyball Recuperates At Home After A Winless Showing At An Away Tournament

Upper West Side NY

13 September, 2021

12:58 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY JORGE HERNANDEZ SEPTEMBER 12, 2021 After not competing for over a year, the Lions (2-4) recently made their debut on the volleyball court at the West Point Tournament on Sept. 3 and 4. Despite a promising new season with the hiring of CJ Werneke as assistant coach, Columbia dropped all three games it played during that tournament. In its first game of the tournament against High Point University, the Light Blue failed to close out sets, despite it being close throughout the majority of the first set. Helmed by senior Isa Lamus, who made seven kills and a 0.39 on 13 attempts, the Lions led 20-15 at one point in the second set before losing out on the final five points necessary to secure the win. Ultimately, High Point took the second set as well, 26-24. In what ended up being the final set, the Light Blue did not play as cohesively as before due to an unrelenting offensive assault from the Panthers. Columbia fell in the final set 25-18, losing 0-3. The Light Blue continued to lose during the second day of the tournament. The team faced the Sacred Heart Pioneers in the first game of the day, taking the first set 25-23 while the Pioneers took the second set 25-23. Despite a valiant effort from Light Blue, the Pioneers easily took the next two sets, 18-25 and 14-25, respectively, to close out the game. During the second game of the day, the Lions took on Army. Throughout the first and second sets, Columbia remained competitive with the help of juniors Noelle Foster and Vanessa Pan but ultimately fell 25-23 and 25-20, respectively. The Lions were at their best in the final set, holding the lead for quite some time before Army tied up the game twice, first at 17-17 and then at 23-23. Although the Lions controlled the set for the majority of it, Army ultimately pulled away to win the final set and game. Following this disappointing road performance, Columbia hosted the Big Apple Tournament on Sept. 10 and 11 at Schiller Court in the Levien Gymnasium. The Lions faced the St. Francis Terriers on the first day of the tournament. St. Francis took the first set 25-18, making Columbia's prospects appear bleak. Thanks to Pan's excellent serving and Lamus' and Foster's strong play at the net from Lamus and Foster, however, Columbia took the second set, 25-18. Finding momentum, the Lions took the next two sets, 25-15 and 25-21, respectively, to win their first home game in over a year. The Lions carried this momentum on to the next day of the tournament. They began their first set against Iona strong, claiming victory 25-15. During the second set, Iona gained control and won 25-13. The Light Blue's vigor then returned with Pan's strong serving, and the team took the third set, 25-20. In the fourth and final set of the game, the Lions took the lead again with the help of Lamus, who hit 0.22 on the set to win 25-15, thereby closing the game in the Lions' favor. Unfortunately, the Light Blue lost steam as it approached the final game of the tournament. Seton Hall, who only lost a single set over the weekend, dominated the game. Even with the offensive aid of Foster, Light Blue lost all three sets 25-17, 25-16, and 25-18. The Lions will play next weekend at the Maryland Tournament, Sept. 17 and 18 at the University of Maryland. The following weekend will be the last preseason tournament before Ivy play begins. The first conference game will be Sept. 25 against Cornell at Levien Gymnasium. Deputy sports editor Jorge Hernandez can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @jhernandez2001. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.