Box Score ITHACA, N.Y. – The Big Red volleyball team snapped a four-game losing streak to Columbia this afternoon, defeating the Lions, 3-2, in Newman Arena for the first time since Oct. 2, 2010 (3-2 in Ithaca). Cornell battled back twice to even the match and force a decisive fifth set, which it won decisively, 15-8.

Cornell (4-6; 1-0 Ivy) was led by Breanna Wong and Sarah Kramer with 19 and 15 kills, respectively, while middle blockers Rachel D'Epaganier and Macey Wilson finished with nine kills apiece. D'Epragnier also finished with eight blocks, while Sarah Hunt chipped in six. Setter Alyssa Phelps posted 45 assists, 13 digs and six kills, while libero Natasha Rowland had another big game, posting a career-high 36 digs and eight assists. The 36-dig performance puts Rowland in a tie for the seventh best performance in Cornell history.

Kramer and the Big Red were especially dominant in the fifth-set as the rookie registered six kills and just one error on nine attempts (.556), while Wong had four kills on five attempts with no errors (.800). As a team, the Big Red registered 12 kills and just three errors on 21 attempts for a blistering .429 hitting percentage for the set. Meanwhile, the Lions had just four kills and three errors on 22 attempts (.045). The decisive moment of the fifth set came with Cornell clinging to a 7-6 lead. From there, the Big Red scored six unanswered points, which included four kills from Kramer, a kill from Phelps and a block from Hunt and Wilson, to go up, 13-6. The teams then traded points to the 15-8 Cornell victory.

Columbia (2-8, 0-1 Ivy) was led by Lanti Moye-McLaren with 17 kills, while Baily Springer chipped in 14. Setters Jennifer Pertovich and Coleen Brennan tallied 28 and 18 assists, respectively, and libero Molly Winger had 27 digs in just four matches before being replaced by Cassie Wes. Moye-McLaren (13) and Brennan (11) also had double-digit digs.

After the Lions won the first match in decisive fashion (25-12), the visitors carried the momentum into the second set, jumping out to an early 4-1 lead. A kill by Kramer made it a two-point game and the Big Red stayed within striking distance until a Columbia attack error tied the contest at 6-6. The teams traded point to 9-9, when a kill from Wong opened up a 6-0 run to give the Big Red a 15-9 advantage. During the rally, half of the points came from Wong kills.

The Lions stormed back, knottimg the set at 16-16 before eventually going up, 21-17. A big kill by Wilson stopped the run and a block from D'Epagnier and Phelps on the next play made it a two-point game. A service error from the Big Red gave Columbia the 22-19 advantage, but Cornell closed the game with six unanswered points to earn the victory. The run began when back-to-back kills from Kramer and D'Epagnier tied the game one final time at 22-22. An attack error from Springer put the home team up by one-point and a block from D'Epagnier and Hunt, followed by a kill from Kramer sealed the victory.

The third set started as a back and forth battle with four ties and three lead changes before the Lions blew open a close game with four unanswered points to take a 19-13 lead. The Big Red fought back, however, beginning with a kill from D'Epagnier. From there, some tough serving from Sierra Young, coupled with kills from Jasmine Robinson, and Kramer, as well as a block from the tandem of D'Epagnier and Kramer, brought the home team back within two-points, 19-17. The Lions pushed their lead back to four points (21-17) but consecutive kills from Kramer made it a two-point contest once again (22-20). Cornell stayed within two points with a kill from Wilson and a block from Wilson and Hunt, but couldn't manage to come all the way back as the Lions won, 25-22.

Cornell responded by jumping out to a big lead early in the fourth set, going up 10-6 behind the strength of a kill and a pair of service aces from Wilson, to go along with kills from Hunt, D'Epagnier, Wong and Kramer. But the Lions continued to hang around and eventually came all the way back to tie the game at 21-21 on a service ace from Molly Winger. A kill from Springer put Columbia on top (22-21) for the first time since leading at 2-1, and the visitors found themselves at match-point when a Cornell hitting error made it a 24-22 contest. The visitors couldn't capitalize, however, and Wong made it a one-point game. After trading points to get to 25-24, a kill from D'Epagnier knotted the game at 25-25. Wilson returned the lead to Cornell but a kill from Savannah Fletcher tied the set one final time at 26-26, as the Big Red earned the final two points. First, Wilson and Phelps teamed up to block an attack from Moye-McLaren, before Wilson registered a kill for the 28-26 final.