ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Big Red volleyball team dropped a pair of 3-2 heartbreakers to close out the 2022 Cornell Invitational on Saturday at Newman Arena. Cornell slipped to 2-4 on the young season.
 

Match One

In a match with massive momentum swings, UAlbany's quick start in the fifth set was the difference in a 3-2 contest (15-25, 25-12, 25-22, 19-25, 15-6). 

The Great Danes (2-6) hit .265 and overcame the Big Red's big blocking, as Cornell posted 14 as a team with Camryn Carlo in on eight and Eliza Konvicka part of six. Konvicka posted 12 kills and eight digs to go along with her strength at the net.

Nicole Mallus had 12 kills and Joanna Chang put down 10 attacks to go with 10 digs. Jackie Baker was credited with 11 digs and three aces and Emma Worthington notched 33 assists, four kills, two aces, five digs and a pair of blocks in a solid all-around effort. Sydney Moore was in on five blocks and notched four kills.

The trio of Alexa Harris (17), Anna Myhal (16) and Hannah Rowe (15) combined for 48 of UAlbany's 62 kills, with Myhal adding 13 digs for a double-double. Charlotte Macken posted a match-high 24 digs and Malea Stanton was credited with 43 assists to go with nine digs, two aces and three kills from the setter position.

The Big Red hit a blistering .583 in the first set as it raced out to a 6-1 lead and never looked back. Cornell had five kills on its first six swings to force a UAlbany timeout. The lead grew to 9-1, then 12-2. The Great Danes never got back within six and a pair of Worthington aces pushed it back to double figures late and cruised to the 25-15 win.

The Great Danes turned the tables in the second, earning a dominant 25-12 win behind .484 hitting and a defense that kept Cornell to a .097 attack percentage.

The third and fourth sets played out in similar ways with back-and-forth play ending with the winner taking control late. 

Albany jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the fifth. A Cornell timeout settled the Big Red down momentarily, but it never got within three points the rest of the way as the visitors went home with the triumph.
 

MATCH TWO

Temple won the odd sets as a resilient Cornell team couldn't squeak out a victory to close the tournament on Saturday evening. 

Brooke Cooper had a team-high 15 kills, while Nicole Mallus had 14 and Camryn Carl notched 12. Sydney Moore posted five kills and was in on seven of the team's 12 blocks. Emma Worthington was credited with 44 assists, 13 digs and four blocks with Megan Bickel posting 16 digs, a pair of service aces and four assists in the back row. Cornell hit .211 as a team, just shy of Temple's .232 hitting percentage.

Taylor Davenport notched a match-high 15 kills and Jelena Prolic recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 11 digs. Falanika Danielson posted a match-best 23 digs and Peyton Boyd, Temple's all-tournament selection, put down 15 attacks.

A back-and-forth fifth set saw Cornell lead as late as 11-10, but Temple scored four of the following points and ultimately earned the victory.
 

UP NEXT

The South Florida Invitational is next up, with contests against the host school as well as South Dakota and Stetson, beginning on Friday, Sept. 16 in Tampa, Fla..