NEW YORK, N.Y. — Cornell volleyball opened Ivy League play in emphatic fashion on Saturday night, sweeping Columbia 3–0 (25-20, 25-23, 26-24) at Levien Gymnasium. The victory lifts the Big Red to 6-5 overall and 1-0 in conference, while the Lions fall to 2-9 and 0-1 Ivy.

Sophomore Mackenzie Parsons led the way with an efficient performance, tallying 11 kills on a .625 hitting percentage to go along with four blocks and a service ace. Senior Eliza Konvicka added 10 kills, three aces and six digs to help Cornell seize momentum in key stretches.

Senior setter Doga Ozalp directed the offense with 19 assists and six digs, while freshman Mikayla Gray chipped in 11 assists of her own. The Big Red also delivered defensively, out-digging Columbia 36–31 and posting 14 block assists at the net. Sarita Pomar anchored the back row with a team-high nine digs.

Cornell opened strong in the first set, using a serving run from Konvicka that included back-to-back aces to build separation in a 25-20 win. The second set featured eight ties, but Parsons and Konvicka powered the Big Red to a 25-23 victory. Cornell then rallied late in the third, closing out the sweep 26-24 behind Parsons' steady finishing and a balanced team effort.

The Big Red matched Columbia nearly point-for-point in kills (36–35) but held the edge at the service line with nine aces and came up with timely stops at the net to secure the road sweep.

Cornell returns home to Newman Arena next weekend to continue Ivy League action.