ALBANY, N.Y. -- Staring down a 2-0 deficit in its first match since November of 2019, the Cornell volleyball team shook off set point in the second game and eventually wore down St. John's 3-1 on Friday evening at UAlbany's Crowne Plaza Albany - The Desmond Hotel Volleyball Classic. Cornell picked up the 26-28, 27-25, 25-23, 25-19 victory at SEFCU Arena in its first of three weekend matches in the state capitol.

Joanna Chang posted a 15-kill, 18-dig double-double for team highs in both categories to lead four players with double figure kill totals. Madison Baptiste matched Chang's 15 kills, while Jillienne Bennett chipped in 13 and Casey Justus registered 12. Emma Worthington had a match-high 53 assists and added four of the team's 13 service aces along with 12 digs and three blocks. Kate Stration, who posted 11 digs, had five aces, more than St. John's posted as a team (three). Stration's five service aces ranks seventh all-time in program history for a four-set match. Sydney Moore chipped in five blocks and four kills and Jackie Baker notched 15 digs. Megan Bickel was the fifth Big Red player with double figures in digs with 10 on the night.

St. John's Eleonora Tosi tallied a match-high 21 kills and hit .308. The Red Storm held a narrow edge at the net in total blocks (11-10), but that was its only edge in the final stats. The Big Red had more kills (64-52), aces (13-3), digs (77-67) and out-hit St. John's (.215-.208).

Cornell held a lead most of the first set, only to see St. John's pull out a 28-26 victory in the opening stanza. Cornell led 24-21 before St. John's scored four consecutive points to stave off defeat, then pulled out the win on a kill by Rachele Rastelli and a Big Red attack error.

The Big Red trailed by as much as 17-10 in the second set and chipped away at the lead, eventually evening the score at 21-all. It was 24-22 St. John's before Baptiste had consecutive kills to even the score. An ace by Worthington gave Cornell a 25-24 lead and the Big Red ended it with a kill by Bennett and a Baptiste service ace.

The Red Storm led 23-19 in the third, but again Cornell roared back. A Big Red timeout stemmed St. John's momentum and Stration served up five consecutive points to go up 2-1, with an ace closing it out.

Cornell trailed briefly in the fourth set at 4-2, but methodically grew the lead to as many as eight points (18-10). St. John's cut its deficit to three points (20-17), but the Big Red finished with Worthington again serving hard to put itself in position as the only unbeaten team on day one of the tournament.

With a pair of games on the slate for Saturday, the Big Red opens up day two of the tournament with a battle against Central New York rival Colgate at 11 a.m.