ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell volleyball team dropped a five-set heartbreaker (21-25, 25-18, 17-25, 25-14, 12-15) to Brown on Saturday night to round out a four-game homestand at Newman Arena. The Big Red drops to 4-10 overall and 2-3 in conference play, while the Bears improve to 12-3 and 3-2 in the Ivy. 

Sophomore Eliza Konvicka led the Big Red in the loss with a match-high 19 kills and five blocks, while Camryn Carlo was the other player for Cornell with double-digit kills (10) to go along with four blocks. Other highlight players for the Big Red included Nicole Mallus with nine kills and two blocks, senior Sydney Moore with seven kills alongside team highs in hitting percentage (.462) and blocks (5), and Doga Ozalp, who had 46 assists for Cornell, who drop to 45-31 all-time against the Bears since the team's first official matchup on Sept. 18, 1976. Kayla Griebl (15 kills) and Kate Sheire (14 kills) led the attack for the Bears, who have now won five straight matches over Cornell. 

With the Big Red down two sets to one to begin the fourth set, it was time to take matters into its own hands. The red and white was up for the challenge, starting on an 8-4 run, with Konvicka, Brooke Cooper, Camryn Carlo, and Nicole Mallus registering kills in the span. Brown would get things to as close to one later in the set, as a block by Cierra Jenkins and Beau Vanderlaan made it 10-9 Cornell. However, the gas pedal stayed down for the red and white, as an 8-0 run made it 18-9 Big Red. Junior Jackie Baker came in clutch in that span, registering three service aces. With the momentum firmly on its side, Megan Bickel shut down the chance of any comeback with an ace to close out the set (25-14) and push the game to a decisive fifth.

Cornell was looking to keep the mojo riding into the fifth set, going with the same lineup as the beginning of the fourth. Both the Big Red and Bears deadlocked early at 3-3 until a Jordan Walker substitution flipped the script, as the Bears committed an attack error and bad set to give Cornell a 5-3 advantage. Brown would not go away, taking a 9-8 advantage on an attack error by Konvicka. Neither team wanted to give an inch as the set ticked closer to 15 points, and things eventually ended up in a 13-13 tie. With fans on their feet and stomping the bleachers of Newman Arena, it looked like Cornell would win its first five-set match of the season. However, the Bears would clinch the fifth set, 15-13, on consecutive attack errors by the Big Red to win its 12th game of 2023.

Match Notes

• Saturday's loss was the 12th time in matchup history between the Big Red and Bears that a match went five sets. Cornell is 5-7 in those matches, with its last win coming on Nov. 11, 2017.
• Cornell's best performance as a team came during the opening set, netting 14 kills, 12 assists, two blocks, and a .300 hitting percentage. Konvicka (5) and Mallus (4) led the kill department for the Big Red in the set.
• Mallus' nine kills on Saturday put her at 103 on the season. The sophomore becomes the second Big Red attacker to hit the century mark in 2023. Konvicka is the other with 188. 
• Junior Jackie Baker had three service aces in a four-point span for Cornell during the fourth set of Saturday's match. It is the most Baker has had since recording six in a victory over Harvard on Nov. 11, 2022. 
• Sophomore Doga Ozalp continued to impress as the primary setter for the Big Red, netting 40 or more assists for the fifth time this season. Ozalp was two off her career high (48), which she recorded in the team's opening win of 2023 against Niagara on Sept. 1. 

Up Next
Cornell hits the road next weekend for the first time in two weeks for Ivy League action. Cornell will travel to Philadelphia to take on Penn at the Palestra on Friday, Oct. 13 at 7:00 p.m. before traveling to New Jersey to take on Princeton on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 5:00 p.m. Both matches will be available to stream on ESPN+.