PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Cornell women's volleyball extended its unbeaten start to Ivy League play Friday night, rallying past Brown for a 3-1 victory at the Pizzitola Sports Center.
The Big Red edged the Bears, 26-24, in the opening set before dropping the second, 25-19. Cornell responded with a dominant 25-18 third-set victory and closed out the match with a 25-21 win in the fourth to improve to 10-5 overall and 6-0 in Ivy League play.
Cornell hit .252 as a team, recording 60 kills, four service aces, eight total blocks and 68 digs. The Big Red hit .429 with 19 kills in the third set to regain control of the match before holding Brown to a .023 hitting percentage in the fourth.
Top Performers
Mackenzie Parsons led Cornell with 19 kills while hitting .432, adding three block assists, seven digs and 20.5 points.
Jaida Sione contributed 15 kills while hitting .379, adding two block assists and 16 points.
Ava Bogan finished with 11 kills, five total blocks and 14 points.
Mary Wolcott directed the offense with 46 assists, adding eight digs and three block assists.
Trinidy Tien and Sara Pomar helped anchor the defense, recording 16 and 13 digs, respectively. Kiran Rio added seven kills, 10 digs and a service ace.
Set 1 – Cornell 26, Brown 24
Cornell overcame an early deficit and held off a late Brown rally to take the opening set, 26-24.
The Bears jumped out to a 3-0 lead before kills from Parsons and Rio helped Cornell close the gap. The teams traded points through the middle of the set, with Cornell eventually taking an 11-11 tie into a 15-12 advantage behind consecutive kills from Parsons.
Brown battled back to even the score at 24-24, but Parsons delivered a kill to put the Big Red ahead, and a Brown attack error gave Cornell the 26-24 win.
Set 2 – Brown 25, Cornell 19
Brown responded in the second set, overcoming Cornell's efforts to rally and tying the match at one set apiece with a 25-19 victory.
The Bears built an early lead and maintained their advantage through the middle of the set, moving ahead 16-8. Cornell chipped away at the deficit behind Parsons, who recorded three kills during the late stretch, while a service ace from Tien helped the Big Red pull within four at 17-21.
Brown answered with a late run to reach set point and closed out the frame, 25-19, despite Cornell's efforts to regain momentum.
Set 3 – Cornell 25, Brown 18
Cornell regained control in the third set, hitting .429 with 19 kills to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Big Red established an early advantage, moving ahead 6-2 before extending the margin to 11-3. Cornell's blocking helped disrupt Brown's attack, while Wolcott continued to set up the offense for efficient scoring opportunities.
Parsons recorded three consecutive kills as Cornell stretched its lead to 21-13. Brown attempted to close the gap late, but Cornell maintained its cushion and reached set point at 24-17. Bogan finished the frame with a kill to secure the 25-18 win.
Set 4 – Cornell 25, Brown 21
Cornell finished strong in the fourth set, overcoming a late deficit before closing out the match with a 25-21 victory.
Brown opened with a 3-0 lead and maintained the advantage through the early stages. Cornell battled back to tie the set at 9-9, but the Bears responded with a scoring run to build a 15-11 lead.
The Big Red continued to chip away, with kills from Sione and Rio helping keep the match within reach. After Brown moved ahead 20-19, Cornell responded with four consecutive points to take a 23-20 lead. Sione delivered three kills during the decisive stretch, putting the Big Red within one point of the match.
Brown managed one more point, but Cornell closed out the contest, 25-21, to secure the four-set victory and remain unbeaten in Ivy League play.
Up Next
Cornell will continue its Ivy League road swing Saturday, Oct. 17, against Yale. The Big Red will look to extend its winning streak and maintain its perfect record in conference play.
