Box Score
THE BRONX, N.Y. -- The script was playing out virtually the same as it had in the morning, but this time Cornell came all the way back to give first-year head coach Melissa Batie-Smoose her first win in Big Red colors in a 3-2 triumph over Bucknell on Friday evening at Fordham's Rose Hill Classic. Cornell improved to 1-4 with the 20-25, 19-25, 25-21, 25-12, 17-15 triumph.
There was plenty to like in Friday's victory, including the team's tenacious attack. The Big Red rallied from an 0-2 deficit for the second time in the span of six hours to force a fifth set, but this time was able to close out the win after dropping a 3-2 contest in the morning session to the host Rams. This time, after being outclassed in the first two games, Cornell ripped off the team's best volleyball over the next three sets to earn its first win of the year.
Rachel D'Epagnier, Kelly Marble and Breanna Wong led a balanced offensive attack with 11 kills apiece, with Marble adding 12 digs and two aces for a double-double. Kelly Reinke directed the offense, tallying 36 assists, while Ainsley Lovejoy recorded a team-high five aces.
Bucknell's Claire Healy had 11 kills and added 12 digs, while Meghan Mientus notched a match-high 16 digs. The Bison hit .198 as a team but were done in by 17 service errors and 13 receiving miscues.
Bucknell won the first two sets 25-20 and 25-19, though both sets played out differently. The Bison won the first to points to open the match and never trailed, eventually holding off the Big Red. In the second, Cornell and Bucknell went back-and-forth, with the Bison taking the lead midway through and holding off the Big Red. Breanna Wong had five kills in the second set as Cornell hit a strong .312 on 32 swings. Bucknell was even better, hitting .500 (13-1-24) to claim the win.
Cornell played some of its best volleyball of the night in the third, jumping out to a lead and extending it midway through the set, going up 16-12 and never surrendering the edge. The Bison caught Cornell at 20-20, but the Big Red scored the next two points to regain the edge. A Wong kill and a service ace by Ainsley Lovejoy closed out the set.
The Big Red ripped through the fourth set, scoring the first seven points and never looking back. Cornell led by as many as 10 points and put away the Bison behind Kelly Marble's three kills and three aces by Lovejoy to force a decisive fifth set with the 25-12 win. Cornell hit .261 (9-3-23) while limiting the Bison to .042 (6-5-24) hitting in the set.
Bucknell picked up the pieces to start the fifth, going up 2-0 quickly. Cornell got within one before the Bison extended their lead to 9-6, forcing a Big Red timeout. Cornell responded, scoring five straight to go up 11-9, with the run ending with a Marble kill and a block by Wong and Ana Vanjak. Bucknell tied it at 11-11, 12-12, 13-13, 14-14 and 15-15, with Cornell scoring on the side-out each time to regain the lead. Finally, on its third set and match point, the Big Red attack forced a bad Bison set to close out the win.
Cornell returns to action tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 8, when it faces Stony Brook at 9 a.m., then closes out the 12th Annual Rose Hill Classic against NJIT at 2 p.m.
