KENT, OHIO — The Cornell volleyball team (2-1, 0-0 Ivy) bounced back with two 3-1 victories over Kent State and Southern Indiana on Saturday. Freshmen Eliza Konvicka continued to dominate in her collegiate debut, recording 28 kills, four aces, three assists, six block, and 25 digs in her first collegiate tournament. Senior Emma Worthington and Sophomore Sammie Engel were both named to the all-tournament team.

"We came out a lot more relaxed today and it showed," said Trudy Vande Berg, the Wendy Schaenen '79 Head Coach of Volleyball. "We didn't overthink things and made adjustments quickly. What I'm most proud of is that we had so many players come in at different times and the chemistry on the court wasn't affected a bit. Everyone knew their job and trusted that their teammate would execute theirs. It's fun to watch."

Engel is off to a strong start in her sophomore season, tallying 15 aces, 25 kills, and 10 blocks in two days. She tied the most aces in a single match by a Big Red athlete with eight in the Kent State match.

Worthington led the team's defensive effort in the tournament, notching 29 digs and four blocks across the three matches.

The Big Red opened the match against Kent State with some back-and-forth play. Cornell secured set one 25- 23 after Sammie Engel was responsible for three of the last four points of the set, including an ace to close. The Golden Flashes jumped out to an early lead in set two, going on a 4-0 run before Cornell could get on the board. Kent State maintained control of the set for a 25-14 win to know the match at one set each. The Big Red found its momentum again in set three, opening on an 11-4 run during which Konvicka recorded back-to-back aces at points 6-2 and 7-2. Cornell went on to win set three, 25-23. Set four offered more balanced action until Cornell went on a 6-0 run to take a 19-11 lead due to five consecutive service aces by Engel. Kent State responded with a late 5-0 run, but it was not enough to catch the Big Red, who won the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.

Konvicka had a team-high 11 kills in the match.

Southern Indiana came out of the gates against Cornell, going on a 7-2 run after the Big Red scored the opening point of the match. Cornell responded with a 9-2 run to retake the lead, 12-9. The Big Red maintained its lead to take set one, 25-20. The Screaming Eagles responded with a 25-20 set two score to tie the match. Set three was a tight battle that included 11 tied scores, but the Big Red earned its final lead of the set at 20-19 and maintained the lead to win 25-23. In set four, Cornell opened on a 7-3 run including two kills from sophomore Camryn Carlo. Cornell secured set four 25-19 to win its second match of the season.

Carlo lead the Big Red attack with 10 kills on 17 attempts good for a .529 hitting percentage.
 

Game Notes

• Cornell opens its season at 2-1 for the fourth consecutive year, and seventh time in eight seasons.
• Emma Worthington moves to 12th in career assists at Cornell with 1,179.
• Freshman Meghan Gaffigan played her first collegiate sets against Southern Indiana, earning six kills on 12 attempts, with just one error.

Looking Ahead

Cornell returns home to host the Cornell Invitational, where it will host Colgate at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 9, followed by two Saturday matches against Albany (11 a.m.) and Temple (7 p.m.). All three matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.