“Every single time we’re in a set, we have the belief that we can win the game. We haven’t gone down, unless it’s been five [sets] so far,” said senior middle blocker Ava Bogan.
Despite a frustrating start to the season, volleyball has demonstrated an incredibly high floor in each of its matchups, and this past weekend was no different.
The Red (3-3, 0-0 Ivy) took on the Binghamton Bearcats (6-3, 0-0 AEC), Temple Owls (5-4, 0-0 American) and University of New Haven Chargers (1-8, 0-0 NEC) on Sept 11 and 12, and ultimately went 2-1 in games, dropping a five-set thriller to the Bearcats in its first game before beating out the Owls and the Chargers.
In the first set of the matchup against Binghamton, the Red suffered numerous attack errors early on and found itself down 6-11. Strategic plays for the middleblockers helped Cornell cut the deficit, but two 4-0 runs by the Bearcats ensured that Cornell would not make a comeback.
The Red went on to drop the first set 19-25 on a final service error.
The second set was a matchup of runs, with both sides trading blows. Cornell went on an early 5-1 run, fueled by freshman outside hitter Kiran Rio’s three kills and one service ace.
Cornell would not relinquish its lead, utilizing another 7-1 run to take the set 25-18. This particular set featured key contributions from players such as Bogan, junior middle blocker Mackenzie Parsons, sophomore setter Mary Wolcott and senior libero Sara Pomar.
The offensive showing and defensive tenacity culminated in a well-rounded set-two win, showing Cornell’s true potential.
Sets three and four featured complementary volleyball play from both squads — with each side taking one set, the crowd was in for a down-to-the-wire finish.
The fifth set started with a quick offensive burst from the Red, with three straight kills coming by way of junior middle blocker Avarie Adams, freshman outside hitter Charlotte Nowak and senior outside hitter Jaida Sione.
Two kills from the Bearcats’ Maya Coblentz-Brown and service-receive errors from the Red gave Binghamton the lead and the momentum. Some miscues by the Red’s back line allowed the Bearcats to go on a late 3-0 run, shutting the door on a potential Cornell comeback.
Binghamton went on to win the set 15-11 and handed the Red its third straight loss in a best of five match.
“We’ve been able to learn so much about our team and what it looks like, and different things that we can do,” Bogan said. “It’s been really helpful early on to have a lot of growth and learning.”
On Saturday morning, the Red took the Owls and turned the five-set tide, winning this matchup 3-2.
In the opening set, it was immediately clear that these two teams were evenly matched. They went back-and-forth, trading kills until the Red caught fire and went on a 6-0 run, in large part due to Sione’s three kills, along with a block and kill combo from senior middle blocker Amrit Dhaliwal.
The Owls remained calm despite this run, and slowly chipped away at its 14-7 deficit. As the set neared the end, Temple saw its chance and capitalized on the Red’s mistakes. Using a late 5-0 run, the Owls stole the set 25-22, stunning the Red.
The second set did not feature such mistakes from Cornell. After going on another 6-0 run, the Red kept its foot on the gas and refused to give its opponent any momentum. Despite a valiant fight from the Owls, Cornell took the set in dominant fashion, winning 25-14.
After suffering a defeat, Temple regrouped as a team and came out with a renewed fire. The third set saw both sides dominate back and forth in short spurts.
With neither side holding a lead greater than five, the audience knew this would be a close finish. As the Owls held a 23-20 lead, the Red needed a pivotal stop to regain service rights.
However, a well-placed set by Temple’s Jaya Moore gave outside hitter Olivia Hummel just enough daylight to squeak a kill by Cornell’s front line. A final kill by the Owls gave the team a 25-21 victory and a 2-1 match lead.
In the fourth set, the Red flipped the script. Sophomore outside hitters Sophia Ahrens and Sydney Zanca delivered standout performances, accounting for six pivotal points in Cornell’s victory.
The squad would go on to win 25-21, setting up its fourth straight five-set showdown.
In the fifth set, the Red got off to a blistering start. A 9-3 run saw Bogan take over on both sides of the ball, garnering two kills and two blocks in that frame.
The Owls attempted a furious comeback, cutting its deficit to 11-13, and it felt as though the Red’s fifth-set woes would make an appearance again.
However, Bogan and the front line ensured that it wouldn’t happen again. Their towering presence forced back-to-back errors by Temple, and at last, Cornell won its first five-set match.
“Coming off of last year, I felt really supported with Mack[enzie Parsons] in the middle, knowing that both of us could make the big-time plays,” Bogan said. “We’ve switched up our lineup a little bit [and] I’ve been given some room to show what I can do.”
“Being a senior, I’ve been stepping into more of a reliable role for the team, so I hope that I can continue to do that, Bogan said.”
In the afternoon, the Red took on the Chargers, decisively winning the match 3-0.
The opening set saw New Haven build an early 13-10 lead behind Cornell’s faults. Miscommunication on the Red’s front led to open gaps on defense and service aces for the Chargers.
A strategic substitution followed to put Rio in the match and the Red went on an extended 15-6 run to close out a shaky start by a score of 25-20.
The second set saw Cornell significantly cut down on its mistakes, playing the brand of volleyball fans are used to. Parsons lit up the stat sheet, recording seven kills and a block during the frame.
The Chargers fought hard, but Cornell pulled away late, taking the 25-20 victory and a 2-0 lead.
The final set of the weekend gave the fans in attendance a spectacle. A bout that saw no long runs made for great volleyball, as both sides continuously adjusted on the fly.
With the set tied at 21 apiece, the Red relied on strong back row defense and a timeline service ace by Rio to take the 25-23 victory, ultimately winning the final match 3-0.
Though Cornell has played just six games so far, the progress from each player has been noticeable. The team’s chemistry is starting to gel, and everyone is making the right strides to meaningfully contribute to the Red’s success.
“Mary [Wolcott] has really stepped up as a setter, leading our offense and being that voice on the court,” Bogan highlighted. “I trust her a lot on her offensive decisions.”
This season, Wolcott has taken a major step forward in her offensive game, following her standout performance in the final regular season weekend for the 2025 season.
“Avarie Adams stepped up last weekend, and this weekend,” Bogan added. “She got her career high in kills, and so I think she did a really good job too, coming into a role she wasn’t sure if she would have to play in or not.”
Adams recorded ten kills and three blocks in her personal best performance against the Bearcats.
This upcoming weekend, Cornell will be on the road again for a matchup against Eastern Michigan University (6-4, 0-0 MAC) at 5 p.m. on Friday before its double header against the University of Michigan (6-2, 0-0 Big Ten) at 12 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Coverage throughout the weekend will be available on ESPN+ and B1G+.
