Light Blue Claims 3-1 Upset Victory Over Big Red In First Ivy Opener

Upper West Side NY

28 September, 2021

2:09 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY JORGE HERNANDEZ SEPTEMBER 26, 2021 Following a difficult preseason that left the Lions with a 3-6 record, Columbia volleyball hosted Cornell to mark the beginning of Ivy League conference play. Chances for the Light Blue appeared slim as they first entered the game. In 2019, the last season before Ivy play was canceled due to COVID-19, Cornell finished third, while Columbia finished sixth. Nevertheless, the Lions were ready to prove themselves from the moment the buzzer sounded. After back-to-back service errors from Columbia and Cornell, senior Emily Teehan, back from an injury that kept her out of previous games, established her offensive presence as her kill hit the ground to make the score 2-1. In previous games, the team had to operate without Teehan due to an unnamed injury. Cornell responded with a kill of its own to tie the score 2-2. That would be the last time the score was tied in the game, though, as the Light Blue demonstrated its new prowess. After an intense back-and-forth with the Big Red with a score of 11-9, junior libero Vanessa Pan took her place to serve. Pan, with the help of kills from Teehan and sophomore outside hitter Logan Harlock in addition to two of her own service aces, served for eight consecutive points to put the Lions up 18-10. Even though the Big Red attempted to stop the Lions' momentum, they finished strong and ultimately won the first set, 25-17. In the second set of the match, Columbia was first to serve. After an attack error from junior outside hitter Noelle Foster, Cornell received the ball. An intense back-and-forth ensued, and Foster made up for her error with a successful kill to tie the game 1-1. This back-and-forth between the teams continued for the majority of the early half of the game. After two consecutive attack errors on behalf of Columbia that tied the game 16-16, Columbia called a timeout. After the timeout, the Lions came back with a renewed ferocity that enabled them to capitalize on a Cornell service error that made the score 17-16. Iron-solid blocking from Columbia and a powerful kill from Foster then increased the Lions' lead to 20-16. With a service ace and four kills, the final set-winning kill coming from Teehan, Columbia claimed yet another set 25-19. The third set of the match was marked by renewed determination and a domineering performance from the Big Red. After the game was tied at 7-7, a kill on behalf of Cornell gave them the serve. With senior middle blocker Casey Justus serving for five straight points until a kill from senior middle blocker Isa Lamus brought the serve back to Columbia, Cornell gained momentum and took the lead 12-8. Cornell's newfound aggression, compounded by multiple Columbia attack errors, eventually placed Cornell in the lead 24-18. However, the Lions were determined not to go down without a fight. After a well-timed kill from sophomore middle blocker Soah Franklin, Columbia reclaimed the ball, with Pan up to serve and score at 24-19. Just as she had done earlier in the game, Pan dominated the service line. With the help of kills from Harlock, Teehan, and Lamus, the Lions narrowed Cornell's lead to 24-23, forcing Cornell to call a timeout in hopes of stopping the Lions' momentum. However, a smashing kill from Teehan then tied up the game. Anticipation exuded from the court, as the teams went back and forth during extra points. The score was eventually tied 28-28. With an unfortunate service error from Lamus and an excellent kill from Cornell's senior right-side hitter Jillienne Bennett, Cornell claimed the third set 30-28. Looking for revenge, the Light Blue came back with renewed determination in the fourth set. With the score tied at 3-3, after a kill that gave Columbia the ball, Teehan stepped up at the service line, and the Lions took an early lead 7-3. After a difficult previous set, the Lions refused to allow Cornell to recover from their relentless attacks. Columbia continued to dominate throughout the game with clear offensive leaders such as Foster, Teehan, and Harlock, as well as defensive specialists such as Pan providing good support. On a set from first-year setter Cadence Gronski, Teehan was poised to strike on match point, with Columbia up by two. With the echo of the ball hitting the floor and cheers from the team, the Lions had claimed the fourth and final set 25-22, and thus the match 3-1. Pan finished with a career high of 31 digs, which places her tied at fourth place for the most digs in a single-match in program history. Keeley attributed Pan's success to her determination during the pandemic. "She's one of those players that really worked hard during COVID," Keeley said. "She went home and trained, both physically and played a lot of volleyball with her club team, so she's really prepared to make the best of this year and she's been a really steady force for us every game." Aside from individual players, Keeley also attributed her team's victory to "just playing confident under pressure." This weekend the Lions will travel to New Haven and Providence to compete against Yale and Brown, respectively. The Yale game will take place on October 1st at 7:00 p.m., and the game against Brown on October 2nd at 5:00 p.m. 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.