Box Score NEW YORK – The Big Red volleyball team fell in straight sets to Columbia, 25-19, 25-15, 25-22, this afternoon at Levien Gymnasium in New York City. With the win, the Lions improve to 6-4 on the season (1-0 Ivy), while Cornell falls to 2-8 (0-1).

In her first ever Ivy League contest, Breanna Wong led Cornell as the only Big Red player to record double-digit kills. She finished the game with an outstanding .346 hitting percentage with 13 kills and just four errors on 26 attempts. Kelly Marble added in nine kills and a team-high 10 digs, while setter Kelly Reinke handed out 32 assists and nine digs. Rachel D'Epagnier continued to be a steady presence on the offense with five kills and no errors on 11 attempts for a .455 hitting percentage and Janel Forte was also solid with six kills and just two errors on 13 attempts.

In the end, Cornell could not overcome its errors, hitting just .143 as a team, and finishing with 10 service errors and seven blocking errors.

Columbia used a balanced offense, with very few errors, to earn the victory. The team hit .329, posting  just seven hitting errors, to go along with four service errors and zero blocking errors on the day. Denise Dearman (8-1-11), Heather Braunagel (7-1-9) and Megan Gaughn (7-1-24) went a combined 22-3-44 for a .477 hitting percentage. Setters Colleen Brennan and Taylor Voss registered 16 and 12 assists, respectively and Molly Winger finished with a game-high 12 digs.

Cornell will finally play its home-opener in a midweek contest against in-state rival Colgate on Tuesday, Sept. 25. The Big Red has a history of success against the Raiders, holding a 53-27-1 advantage in the all-time series, which dates back to 1972, the very first season of varsity volleyball. The Raiders, however, currently hold a five-match winning streak in the series with the Big Red's last victory coming during the 2005 season.