Straight Sets: Volleyball Loses To Dartmouth But Picks Up Win Against Harvard

Upper West Side NY

20 October, 2021

1:23 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY JORGE HERNANDEZ OCTOBER 17, 2021 Looking to end its four-game losing streak, Columbia volleyball traveled to Hanover and Cambridge this weekend to play in matches against Dartmouth and Harvard. After losing their first-year starting setter Cadence Gronski to an injury last week, the Lions (5-11, 2-5 Ivy) have faced challenges adjusting to a new formation. Entering this weekend's games, the Light Blue's ability to adapt to this change meant the difference between winning and losing. The Lions played the Big Green (10-6, 2-5 Ivy) to start off the weekend. Dartmouth was awarded the first serve and started the game strong. At the peak of its lead, Dartmouth led 16-6. The Light Blue was unable to close the gap, and Dartmouth closed out the set 25-16. The second set played out in almost parallel fashion to the first. Dartmouth repeatedly found ways through Columbia's defense with a swarm of kills. An understaffed defense was unable to handle the offensive attacks, and the Lions fell behind. Columbia also struggled offensively, racking up 27 errors in the first two sets. Struggling both offensively and defensively, Columbia was looking at a 10-point difference, with the score at 23-13. The Dartmouth offense had only one successful kill in four attempts, making the score 24-16. An untimely attack error from junior outside hitter Noelle Foster, however, secured the set for the Big Green 25-17. The Lions were determined to prove themselves after Dartmouth won the first two sets by a large margin. From the beginning of the third set, Columbia kept pace with Dartmouth. For much of the set, the two teams matched each other point for point. In total, the set was tied 15 times. With the score tied at 15-15, two errors by the Big Green launched Columbia into the lead. Then, a big kill from senior middle blocker Isa Lamus cemented the Light Blue's lead 18-15. Dartmouth was unwilling to allow the Lions to run away with this set, and called a timeout to try to stop the Light Blue's momentum. The Light Blue made a total of five errors after the timeout, while Dartmouth continued to perform with minimal errors. Eventually, with Columbia trailing at 24-23, a singular kill brought the Light Blue down and gave the match to the Big Green 3-0. After dropping to Dartmouth in straight sets, the Lions, looking to end their now five-game losing streak, traveled to Cambridge to face off against the Crimson (7-9, 4-3 Ivy). After an initial back-and-forth that tied the score 3-3, the Lions took the lead thanks to a Harvard service error. After claiming the lead, the Lions never looked back, controlling the rest of the set. Big hitters such as Foster, Lamus, and senior outside hitter Emily Teehan empowered the Lions' strong offense. The team's solid defense, meanwhile, was anchored by sophomore middle blocker Soah Franklin, who had three back-to-back blocks. With this formidable defense and offense, the Lions easily claimed the first set 25-18. Though the second set also went to Columbia, the Crimson did not allow the Lions to take it with the same ease. For the first part of the set, the gameplay followed the formula of the last. After an initial back-and-forth, Columbia took an early lead and the Lions were poised to win. However, with the score at 23-18 and the Lions up to serve, Harvard called a timeout with hopes of slowing down Columbia's path to victory. Out of the huddle, the Lions dashed Harvard's hopes by scoring again. With the Light Blue one point from victory, Harvard quickly retaliated to bring the score 24-19. Thanks to Harvard's libero Lindsey Zhang on the service line, Harvard quickly scored four consecutive points, two of them service aces. As the gap between the two teams shrank—with the score now resting at 24-23—Columbia was determined to win the set without having to go to extra points. To close it out, Lamus approached the net and quickly jumped up and scored, securing the set 25-23. As both teams entered the third set of the match, the energy had clearly changed—Harvard was not going down easily. Both teams competed with ferocity. Going kill for kill, the neck-and-neck teams brought the score to 23-23 with neither able to maintain a significant lead. Then, with Harvard up to serve, Lamus failed to block a kill from the Crimson and Harvard took the lead 24-23. Looking for vengeance and to push the set to extra points, Lamus approached the net and scored. The gap between the Crimson and the Light Blue slowly crept up, but neither team was able to gain more than a one-point lead to claim the match. With the score at 26-26, and with both teams' desire for victory practically buzzing in the air, the Lions returned Harvard's serve with a kill from sophomore outside hitter Logan Harlock to bring the score to 27-26. Foster then took the service line for the Lions, and with a service ace, took the match for Columbia and broke Columbia's five-game losing streak. The match against Harvard marked Columbia's first straight win of the season. Individual players also earned personal wins of their own. Teehan had a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs and Franklin now has 25 blocks against Ivy League competitors. The Lions will host Rider University on Oct. 20 at Levien Gymnasium. They will then travel to Ithaca to play against Cornell on Oct. 23. Both games can be streamed on ESPN+. 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.