LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Cornell volleyball team (1-0, 0-0 Ivy) dropped the first set of their match against Niagara, but turned it on after that, defeating the Purple Eagles, 3-1, in its first game of the Bucknell Invitational on Friday afternoon at Davis Gymnasium.

Sophomore Eliza Konvicka picked up where she left off in 2022, leading the way with a career-high 25 kills, 10 digs, and a block for the Big Red. First year libero Sarita Pomar also had a stellar debut for Cornell, logging 26 digs, while sophomore Doga Ozalp had a career-high 48 assists. 

Set One

The first set went back and forth early, as the Big Red and Purple Eagles battled for momentum. Cornell took control through the middle of the set, as a kill by freshman Jaida Sione gave the Big Red a 10-8 lead. However, the Purple Eagles stopped the early momentum, going on a 10-1 run to take an 18-11 advantage. The Big Red would try to get back into the set, going on a 6-4 run to cut the deficit to five, but that was as close as the Big Red would get, with a Laryssa Imbuzeiro kill sealing the first set for the Purple Eagles.
 

Set Two

After a back-and-forth first set, the Big Red took control in the second, leading off with a 20-3 run. Konvicka led the stretch with four kills with senior Alexa Orent right behind with three. The Purple Eagles tried to cool the momentum, but the Big Red was having none of it, as a kill and stuff block by senior Sydney Moore sealed the set for Cornell.
 

Set Three

The third set started similar to the first, as both teams struggled to gain momentum, but an attack error by Niagara's Megan Bruno was all the Big Red needed, as they took a 6-5 lead. Paired with a 9-6 run, Cornell took a 15-11 edge into the media timeout. The break could have slowed Cornell's roll. However, Sione and Konvicka were having none of it, as the pair recorded six digs and six kills to clinch the set.
 

Set Four

With the momentum on its side, the Big Red started the fourth set on an 8-4 run. However, the Purple Eagles would go on a 3-0 run to cut the deficit to 8-7. With the momentum gone, the Big Red needed a spark, and they got it with kills by Jaida Stone and Sydney Moore alongside three Purple Eagles errors to stretch its lead to 13-8 and force a Niagara timeout. Both teams traded points back-and-forth until a three-point string by Stone and Konvicka gave the Big Red its biggest lead of the match at 19-12. The Purple Eagles would get the deficit down to four, but three kills by Alexa Orent and stuff block by Orent and junior Camryn Carlo sealed the match and Cornell's first win of 2023.
 

Match Notes

• Cornell extended its neutral site record over the Purple Eagles to 5-0.
• With Friday's win, the Big Red is now 13-2 all-time against Niagara.

 

Up Next

Cornell looks to feed off its early momentum on Saturday with two more matches to close out the Bucknell Invitational. The Big Red face off against William & Mary at 10 a.m. before taking on the host Bison at 2 p.m. Both matches will be streamed live on ESPN+.