Box Score Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – Behind the strength of a solid offense and a scrappy defensive effort, the Big Red volleyball team defeated Brown, 3-1, this evening in Newman Arena. Cornell jumped out to a two-set lead (25-19, 25-16) before falling in the third set (25-17). The deciding fourth set was a tense battle, as the Big Red came back to earn the 25-23 victory.

Cornell (6-14, 2-7 Ivy) was led by Kelly Marble and Madeleine Przybyle, who registered 13 and 12 kills, respectively. The duo also led the team in hitting percentage, with Marble registering a mark of .275 (13-2-40) and Przybyl hitting .222 (12-4-36).

It was the Big Red defense that kept the home team in the match, however, compiling 114 digs on the evening, led by libero Risa Ka'awa's 31. Jordan Reeder finished with 23 digs, while Przybyl and Natasha Rowland tallied 13 digs apiece. Janel Forte and Kelly Reinke also registered double-digit digs with 11 each.

Setters Reinke and Reeder also handed out 20 and 13 assists, respectively.

Brown (4-17, 2-7 Ivy) was led by Katrina Post's 21 kills and .206 hitting percentage (21-7-68). Setter Alexandra Rieckhoff finished with 41 assists and libero Annika Gliottone posted a match-high 33 digs.

The first set started as a back and forth battle before a three-point run put the visitors up, 15-12. A timeout by the Big Red settled the home team down and three consecutive kills by Forte, Rachel D'Epagnier and Marble knotted the game at 15-15.

The run was ended by a kill from Post, but back-to-back kills by Meagan Tatum put Cornell up, 17-16. Brown managed to tie the score at 17-17, and once more at 19-19, but a kill by Pryzbyl sparked a 6-0 Big Red run that ended the set.

Cornell carried that momentum into the second set, jumping out to a substantial 10-4 lead. The Big Red kept Brown at arm's length until four unanswered points closed the gap to 17-13, but an attack error by Post, followed by back-to-back kills from D'Epagnier and Marble restored the commanding 20-13 lead to the home team. From there, the Big Red rolled to the 25-16 victory.

The Bears took an early command of the third set, getting out to a 9-5 lead. Cornell fought back, however, and managed to pull even at 11-11 and eventually go up, 13-11, thanks to three straight kills by Przybyl, Forte and Brittany Fox. The lead was short-lived, as three straight Brown kills put the visitors up, 14-13. A kill by Fox knotted the game for the final time at 14-14. From there, Cornell managed to stay within striking distance until seven unanswered points put the set away for Brown.

Cornell pulled out to a 5-1 lead early in the fourth set, but six unanswered points put the Bears up, 7-5. The Big Red managed to pull back ahead (10-9) on a kill by D'Epagnier, but a kill by Post on the next play tied the contest at 10-10. After trading points to 13-13, a pair of Brown kills and a Cornell attack error put the visitors up, 16-13.

A well-timed timeout restored some order to the Big Red offense and Cornell fought back to tie the game at 18-18.

Back-to-back kills by Post put Brown back up, 20-18, but a 4-2 run by the home team tied the set at 22-22. A bad set by Rieckhoff put Cornell up, 23-22, but a kill by Lord knotted the game one final time at 23-23. A Brown attack error handed the Big Red match-point and Przybyl ended the match with an emphatic kill.

The Big Red is back in action tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 29, as it welcomes Yale to Newman Arena at 5 p.m.