Box Score
STORRS, Conn.—The Big Red volleyball team picked up its first win of the season on Saturday night, defeating Maine 3-2 at the UConn Toyota Classic. The Cornell defense combined to total 15 blocks, while junior libero Megan Mushovic and senior captain Hilary Holland each tallied 21 digs.
The Big Red held a slight lead at the midway point of the first set and carried it through to a 25-23 win. Freshman Meagan Tatum led the Cornell offense with six kills, while the Big Red hitters combined to notch a .361 hitting percentage.
Maine took a quick lead in the second and lengthened its advantage to 24-13. The Big Red scored seven-straight points, but a kill by the Black Bears' Lindsay Allman tied the match with a 25-20 win. Freshman Kelly Hansen and junior Juliana Rogers each tallied three block assists in the set, while Mushovic scored two service aces.
The Big Red and Black Bears traded points back and forth in the third set and were tied at 23 all. Two attaching errors by the Maine hitters helped Cornell to a 25-23 win. Senior Emily Borman tallied six kills on just seven attempts to boast a .857 hitting percentage in the set.
In the fourth, Maine jumped out to a quick advantage and never looked back to tie the match at two sets apiece with a 25-15 victory.
Cornell came out strong in the fifth set to take a 6-2 lead, and the Big Red rode that momentum to a 15-9 match-winning set.
Holland's 21 digs marked a career-high for the Big Red captain, and she also notched 44 assists. Tatum led the Cornell offense with a match-high 14 kills, while Borman totaled 13, hitting .500. Hansen posted nine blocks for Cornell, while junior Kathryn Woodbury tallied five blocks and 10 kills. Woodbury also scored a career-high three aces for Cornell.
Maine was led by Laura Goettsch with 13 kills, while Allman had 9 kills and 17 digs. Jessica Wolfenden and Amy Lawson led the Black Bears at the net each grabbing four block assists.
The Big Red will play its home-opener on Wednesday, Sept. 24 when it will play host to Syracuse for a 6:30 p.m. match in Newman Arena. Cornell will also welcome Robert Morris and Columbia on Saturday, Sept. 27 for the Cornell Invitational.
