ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell volleyball team (2-6, 0-0 Ivy) fell to South Florida (5-5, 0-0 American) and South Dakota (10-1, 0-0 Summit) to open the South Florida Invitational. Sophomore outside hitter Brooke Cooper and freshman OH Eliza Konvicka led the team in kills. Cooper tallied 15 across both matches, with Konvicka notching a team-best 22.

South Florida secured set one and set two in quick fashion, each with a 25-15 scoreline. Cornell then found a spark in the third, battling USF early and securing its largest lead of the match at 9-7, following a 4-0 run where Cooper tallied three of the four points, including two service aces. The run forced a Bulls timeout, which sparked a 5-0 USF run to help the team take a 12-9 lead. The teams battled closely tallying five tied scores between 16-16 and 22-22. Cornell called a timeout with the match knotted at 22 after back-to-back points for USF, but the momentum continued with the Bulls, who closed the set on a 5-0 run, earning the 3-0 sweep of the match.

Cooper tallied a team-best .429 hitting percentage in the match after recording 7 kills across 14 attack. Her two service aces also served as the team-high.

In match two, South Dakota came out storming, eventually taking a 21-12 lead in set one. Cornell battled back, stringing together a 7-3 run, but the Coyotes secured the final point to take the 1-0 lead. South Dakota dominated set two, winning 25-12 and taking a 2-0 lead. The Coyotes started on a 10-5 run in set two before Cornell responded with five consecutive points to tie the set at 10. South Dakota answered with a five point run of their own, and never gave up the lead, closing set three 25-21 and earning the 3-0 sweep.

UP NEXT
The Big Red wraps up its time in South Florida tomorrow morning, with a 10 a.m. match against Stetson on Saturday, September 17 before returning home to open Ivy League play with a match against Columbia.