Box Score NEW YORK, N.Y. – For the first time since the 2008 season the Big Red volleyball team earned a season sweep over Columbia when it defeated the Lions, 3-2, this afternoon at Levien Gym in New York City. The match was a thrilling one, closely contested throughout with Cornell taking the five-set victory, 26-28, 25-23, 25-22, 20-25, 15-9.

The Big Red (7-11, 3-5) had five players register double-digit kills, led by Breanna Wong's 19. Freshmen Grayce Campbell and Sarah Kramer finished with 15 and 14 kills, respectively, while middle blockers Rachel D'Epagnier (12) and Macey Wilson (10) combined for 22 kills and just six errors on 46 attempts. D'Epagnier registered a blistering .417 hitting percentage (12-2-24), while Kramer connected on .367 of her attempts (14-3-30). Four Big Red players hit above .300, as the team hit .269 for the match.

Setter Alyssa Phelps tallied a career-high 65 assists and registered 11 digs, joining Wong (16 digs) as the only Big Red player to register a double-double. The 65 assists are the most for a Cornell player since Whitney Fair registered 64 assists against Princeton on Nov. 6, 2004 and Phelps' performance ranks 11th overall in Big Red history for assists in a single match.

The Cornell defense was outstanding with 93 digs behind six total team blocks. Leading the way was Natasha Rowland with 34 digs. Her 34 digs were just two off her career-high, set against Columbia in the first meeting of the season, and ranks 14th overall in Cornell history for digs in a single match. It also moves Rowland into ninth place in Big Red history for digs in a single season (397).

Sierra Young also finished with 10 digs, while Kramer and Campbell came one dig short of a double-double with nine apiece.

Columbia (5-12, 3-5) was led by Bailey Springer with 17 kills while Katarina Jovicic and Zoe Jacobs registered 15 and 13 kills, respectively. Springer had a double-double with 14 digs. Jennifer Petrovich handed out 36 assists and Molly Winger had a team-high 19 digs.

The first set was a back and forth battle that featured 10 ties and went to extra points before the Lions managed to earn the 28-26 victory.

The battle carried into the second set with the teams trading points to 8-8 before a pair of kills from Kramer and a kill from Wilson sparked a 4-0 Cornell run that gave the visitors a lead it would not relinquish. Columbia pulled back within one point (12-11) but a kill from Kramer ended the threat and the Big Red was able to eventually push its lead to six points (19-13), punctuated by a service ace from Kramer. The Lions closed the match on a 10-6 run, but couldn't overcome the gap and Cornell earned the 25-23 victory.

Columbia continued to play well and jumped out to an early 9-5 advantage in the third set, but back-to-back kills from Kramer and Campbell got the Big Red back on track as the visitors pulled within one-point (9-8). The Big Red continued to chip away and managed to tie the game at 13-13, the first of five ties down the stretch. Cornell took its first lead of the contest when a block from Wilson and Campbell put the team up, 15-14, but it wasn't until a Columbia service error was followed by a kill from Wong that the visitors took the lead for good at 22-20. The Big Red won the set, 25-22.

The Lions battled back in the fourth set, using a 6-1 run to blow open a 5-5 tie and take a lead it would not give up en route to a 25-20 victory.

The fifth set began as an offensive clinic, with the teams combining for nine kills over the first 13 points. With the score tied at 8-8 a kill from D'Epagnier and a service ace from Cambpell sparked the decisive 7-1 run that gave Cornell the 15-9 victory.

The Big Red will continue the second half of Ivy League play when it once again hits the road headed south next weekend with scheduled matches against Penn (Oct. 1, 7:00 p.m.) and Princeton (Oct. 2, 5:00 p.m.).