VESTAL, N.Y. — Cornell women's volleyball battled through five sets Friday night, trading momentum with Binghamton throughout a back-and-forth match before the Bearcats claimed a 3-2 victory at the West Gym.
Binghamton took the match 25-19, 18-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-11, with Cornell answering each of the Bearcats' first two set victories to force a decisive fifth frame. The Big Red hit .201 as a team and finished with 68 kills, 11 blocks and 82 digs in the hard-fought battle.
Top Performers
Ava Bogan led Cornell's attack with 17 kills while hitting .500 and adding six total blocks. Jaida Sione and Avarie Adams each added 10 kills, while Sione contributed three blocks and Adams hit .286.
Kiran Rio recorded nine kills and 17 digs, while Sydney Zanca added eight kills while hitting .313. Mary Wolcott directed the offense with 38 assists and added seven digs, while Mikayla Gray chipped in 18 assists and five digs.
Set 1 – Binghamton 25, Cornell 19
Cornell opened the match with an early 2-0 advantage before Binghamton answered with five straight points to take its first lead.
The Big Red continued to battle, pulling within 9-7 before Binghamton began to create separation. Cornell stayed within striking distance late, with Bogan and Adams providing kills to keep the Big Red within six at 23-17.
Binghamton reached set point at 24-18, and Cornell answered with a kill from Bogan, but the Bearcats closed the frame on the next point to take the opening set, 25-19.
Set 2 – Cornell 25, Binghamton 18
The Big Red responded immediately in the second set.
After Binghamton opened with a 1-0 lead, Cornell quickly pulled even and eventually built a 9-8 advantage behind kills from Rio and Bogan.
The teams continued to trade points before Cornell began to pull away. With the Big Red leading 13-12, Cornell scored three of the next four points to move ahead 16-13.
Cornell continued to build its advantage behind a balanced attack, with Rio, Bogan, Parsons and Williamson contributing kills during the stretch. The Big Red reached set point at 24-17 before a Binghamton attack error gave Cornell the 25-18 victory and evened the match at one set apiece.
Set 3 – Binghamton 25, Cornell 20
Binghamton regained control early in the third set, turning a 3-2 Cornell lead into an 8-5 advantage.
The Big Red continued to fight back, pulling within two at 10-8 before Binghamton stretched its lead again.
Cornell answered with a run of its own late in the frame. After trailing 21-14, the Big Red scored four straight points to close within 21-18, with Bogan and Sione providing kills during the push.
Binghamton stopped the run and reached set point at 24-19. Cornell answered once more with a Sione kill, but the Bearcats closed out the set on the following point to take a 2-1 match lead.
Set 4 – Cornell 25, Binghamton 23
With the match on the line, Cornell responded with another strong fourth-set performance.
Binghamton took an early 3-0 lead before the Big Red quickly evened the score. Cornell then moved ahead 5-3 following back-to-back kills from Charlotte Nowak and Bogan.
The teams continued to trade points throughout the middle portion of the set, with neither side able to pull away. Cornell held a 12-9 advantage after a block from Bogan and Sione before Binghamton fought back to tie the frame at 13-13.
Cornell again created separation, using a stretch of strong attacking to build a 20-15 lead. Binghamton responded with four straight points to make it 20-19, setting up a tense finish.
The Bearcats eventually tied the set at 22-22 and took a 23-22 lead, but Cornell answered with three straight points. A kill from Sione and a Binghamton error put the Big Red at set point before a final kill from Zanca completed the comeback, 25-23, sending the match to a fifth set.
Set 5 – Binghamton 15, Cornell 11
Cornell came out strong in the deciding set, jumping ahead 3-0 behind kills from Adams, Nowak and Sione.
Binghamton quickly answered, scoring four straight points to take a 4-3 lead before extending its advantage to 7-4.
The Big Red continued to battle, cutting the deficit to 9-8 after kills from Zanca and Sione. Binghamton responded with three consecutive points to move ahead 12-8.
Cornell pulled within two at 13-11 after an attack error and another point from Rio, but Binghamton closed the match with the final two points to secure the 15-11 victory and the 3-2 decision.
The five-set battle featured 23 ties and 11 lead changes, with both teams answering each other's runs throughout the match. Cornell finished with 68 kills, 82 digs and 11 blocks, while Binghamton recorded 54 kills, 77 digs and 10.5 blocks.
Up Next
Cornell continues play at the Binghamton Invitational Saturday in Vestal, facing Temple at 10 a.m. before closing the weekend against New Haven at 4 p.m.
