NEW YORK, N.Y. — Cornell women's volleyball continued its strong run in Ivy League play Saturday night, sweeping Columbia, 3-0, at Levien Gymnasium.
The Big Red claimed the opening set, 25-18, before earning a hard-fought 25-23 victory in the second. Cornell closed out the sweep with a 25-20 win in the third set, improving to 11-6 overall and 7-1 in Ivy League play.
Cornell hit .260 as a team, recording 42 kills, 10 service aces, seven total blocks and 45 digs while limiting Columbia to a .144 hitting percentage. The Big Red opened the match with a .440 hitting percentage in the first set and maintained its momentum in the third, overcoming a competitive stretch midway through the frame to secure the sweep.
Top Performers
Mackenzie Parsons led Cornell's offensive attack with 18 kills, hitting .538 while adding two service aces, three total blocks and 22 points.
Ava Bogan contributed 10 kills while hitting .529 and recorded four total blocks to finish with 13 points.
Mary Wolcott directed the offense with 31 assists, adding five digs and a block assist.
Sarita Pomar led the Big Red with 18 digs and added two assists.
Kiran Rio tallied three service aces, 10 digs and two kills, while Sydney Zanca recorded five kills on eight attempts, hitting .500, and contributed two block assists.
Set 1 – Cornell 25, Columbia 18
Cornell established control early in the opening set, using a strong offensive start and an effective serving game to take a 25-18 victory.
The Big Red opened with a 3-0 lead behind a service ace from Kiran Rio and consecutive kills from Mackenzie Parsons. Cornell continued to build its advantage, with kills from Ava Bogan and Jaida Sione helping the visitors move ahead 6-3.
After Columbia trimmed the deficit, Cornell responded with a decisive stretch, winning six of seven points to extend its lead to 12-7. Consecutive service aces from Trinidy Tien helped fuel the run, while Mackenzie Parsons added another kill to keep the Big Red in front.
Cornell continued to apply pressure from the service line, with Rio recording another ace before Parsons delivered a kill to make it 16-9. The Big Red maintained a comfortable cushion through the closing points, reaching set point at 24-17 before a Columbia attack error sealed the 25-18 win.
Cornell finished the set with 14 kills and a .440 hitting percentage, establishing an early advantage in the match.
Set 2 – Cornell 25, Columbia 23
Cornell held off a late Columbia push to claim a 25-23 victory in the second set and take a two-set lead.
The Big Red faced an early challenge as Columbia built a 7-4 advantage and later extended its lead to 11-6. Cornell began to chip away at the deficit with kills from Ava Bogan and Mackenzie Parsons, while Kiran Rio added a service ace to help bring the Big Red within one at 10-11.
Cornell continued to battle back, with Mackenzie Parsons and Ava Bogan contributing key kills as the teams traded points. The Big Red eventually pulled even at 20-20 following a Columbia attack error, setting up a tight finish.
After the teams exchanged points, Cornell regained the advantage at 22-22 on a kill from Jaida Sione. Mackenzie Parsons followed with another kill to tie the set at 23-23 after Columbia briefly moved ahead.
Cornell then capitalized on consecutive Columbia attack errors to close out the set, 25-23, and move within one set of the sweep.
Set 3 – Cornell 25, Columbia 20
Cornell overcame a competitive start and pulled away midway through the third set to finish the sweep with a 25-20 victory.
The teams traded points early before Cornell used a pair of Columbia attack errors to take a 4-3 lead. The Big Red continued to apply pressure at the net, with Ava Bogan contributing to the defensive effort as Cornell built a 6-4 advantage.
Columbia stayed within striking distance, eventually tying the set at 10-10. Cornell responded with a run of its own, as Mackenzie Parsons delivered consecutive kills to help the Big Red regain control. A kill from Parsons pushed Cornell's lead to 13-11, and another finish from the junior helped extend the margin to 15-11.
The Big Red continued to build separation behind its offensive attack, blocking presence at the net and serving pressure. Mackenzie Parsons added a service ace before Ava Bogan recorded a kill to put Cornell ahead 18-11, giving the visitors room to manage Columbia's late response.
Cornell maintained its advantage through the final points, reaching match point at 24-18. After Columbia scored twice, Sydney Zanca delivered the match-clinching kill to secure the 25-20 win and complete the sweep.
The victory improved Cornell to 7-1 in Ivy League play and 11-6 overall.
Up Next
Cornell returns to Newman Arena next weekend for a pair of Ivy League matchups. The Big Red will host Princeton on Friday, Oct. 30, at 5 p.m. in a nationally televised contest on ESPNU before welcoming the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 5 p.m. The matchup against the Quakers will stream on ESPN+.
