Boxscore 

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Cornell volleyball team jumped out to a two-set lead and then fought back from a seven-point deficit in the fourth set to defeat Dartmouth, 3-1, this afternoon at Newman Arena. The Big Red won sets one and two, 25-17 and 25-22, respectively, before dropping the third set, 25-22. In the final and deciding set, Cornell earned a 26-24 victory to improve to 5-10 on the year and 2-2 in the Ivy League.

The Big Red had two players register double-digit kills, with Deveney Pula (15) and Alessa Cekauskas (11) leading the way. Cekauskas was extremely accurate in the match, with just one error on 33 attempts to hit for .303.

Jordan Reeder had an excellent afternoon with 39 assists, 24 digs and five kills with just one error on nine attempts (.444). Joining Reeder with double-digit digs was Megan Mushovic, with a game-high 30, and Risa Ka'awa with 17.

Dartmouth (7-7, 3-1) was led by Madeline Baird's 18 kills, while Megan MacGregor chipped in 10. Kendall Houston (22 assists) and Brianne Hucek (15) split the setting duties, while Amber Bryant (25 digs) and Jessie Hartman (18) split time at libero.

Cekauskas got the Big Red off to a great start with three straight kills to open the first set and two Dartmouth errors gave Cornell the early 5-0 lead before a service error got the Big Green its first point. The Big Red eventually stretched its lead to seven points when a kill by Jessica Misse made it a 16-9 game. Dartmouth cut the lead back to five points with a pair of kills by Morgan Covington, but that was as close as it got as Cornell rolled to the 25-17 victory.

The second set proved to be much more competitive as the two teams battled to 17 ties and eight lead changes. With the score knotted at 22-22, a kill by Pula gave the Big Red a one-point advantage and a pair of Dartmouth attack errors gave Cornell the 25-22 victory.

The Big Red jumped out to a 16-11 lead in the third set, but the Big Green used an 8-3 run to knot the game at 19-19. A kill by Rogers ended the run and from there the teams traded points to a 23-22 Dartmouth lead. A Big Red attack error and a kill by Kelsey Johnson gave the Big Green its 25-22 victory.

Dartmouth took a commanding seven-point lead in the final set, going up, 16-9, before Cornell began to fight its way back into the contest, using a prolonged 6-1 scoring run to pull back within two points, 17-15. During the run, the Big Red got a pair of kills from Pula. Dartmouth built its lead back to four points, 21-17, but Cornell responded with another impressive 6-2 run to pull even at 23-23. The teams tied again at 24-24, before a Madeleine Przybyl ace and a kill by Pula gave the Big Red the 26-24 win.