Saturday afternoon, volleyball returned home following back-to-back road tournaments, where it took on the Columbia Lions (6-4, 0-1 Ivy) to open Ivy League play. Cornell’s (5-5, 1-0 Ivy) continued defensive effort powered the squad to a quick sweep in front of the Newman faithful.
“We really focus on blocking, and pin hitters having a wide base, and I think we did really well working off the block when we need[ed] to,” said senior outside hitter Jaida Sione about Saturday’s game.
“Working off the block” seemed to be the theme of the Red’s performance as the squad outblocked its opponent 9-0 and created endless offensive opportunities from its towering presence — culminating in a 3-0 shutout.
In the opening set, freshman outside hitter Kiran Rio and junior middle blocker Mackenzie Parsons led the team to a fast start, generating four of the Red’s first five points.
As both squads settled in, looking to exploit each other’s weaknesses, Cornell utilized a 9-3 run to pull away mid set. Five kills from the middle blocker position and back-to-back service aces from sophomore setter Mikayla Gray gave the Red a 17-10 lead.
The Lions clawed back into the set, in part due to three Cornell attack errors to force just an 18-22 deficit. However, subsequent kills from Sione and Rio, coupled with an uncharacteristically bad set by Columbia’s Elena Maynulet sealed the Lions fate.
“I didn’t really come in expecting to play — I’ve just been doing my best and trying to contribute to the team wherever I can,” Rio said.
Rio’s impressive start to the season has not been without adversity, but she spoke to the support of her teammates in an interview with The Sun.
“When I was struggling at the beginning [of the season], just to adjust, everyone took me in and lifted me and the other freshmen up, so the culture on the team is just really amazing,” Rio said.
In the second set, sophomore outside hitter Sydney Zanca soared.
A lineup change in the matchups against Michigan last weekend saw Parsons return to the middle blocker position, giving Zanca more opportunities in the front row. Despite this newfound opportunity, the Red saw major success setting up Zanca from the back row, and she made the Lions pay for failing to adjust.
An early tit-for-tat bout saw Cornell hold just a 16-14 lead after a vicious kill from Columbia’s Danica Nordlicht. An ensuing service error jump-started the Red’s 5-0 run.
Sophomore outside hitter Sophia Ahrens delivered a beautiful kill, courtesy of Gray, and then followed it up with a duet block with Parsons. Two errors by the Lions’ Claire Mo gave the Red a 21-14 lead from which it would never look back.
A final duet block featuring Zanca and defensive menace senior middle blocker Ava Bogan, followed by an attack error from Columbia’s Alexia Cornea gave Cornell the 25-18 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
Bogan's start to the season has been nothing short of historic. Her 1.79 blocks per set ranks No. 2 in the country and her 19 solo blocks rank No. 1.
“Her aggressive mentality that she consistently shows both in practice and in the weight room translates to game days when we match up against other teams,” Gray said. “She really is a player not to be messed with.”
In the final set of the afternoon, both sides again traded mini-runs until the matchup was knotted at nine apiece. An ensuing kill by Bogan started the avalanche of points for the Red.
An extended 13-3 run effectively put the game away, thanks to contributions from Rio, Sione, Parsons and fan favorites like freshman outside hitter Charlotte Nowak and senior middle blocker Amrit Dhaliwal.
With a 24-19 lead, the Red went back to its bread and butter, utilizing Zanca on a powerful back row attack to seal the game. The Red would sweep Columbia on this final kill.
“I think we’re a really strong team,” Rio said. “I think we have a really good chance of doing well in the conference this year.”
With conference play in full swing now, the Red will look to establish itself as an early favorite to win the Ivy League title and receive a bid to the NCAA tournament in early December.
Cornell will have a quick turnaround as the team heads on the road again this weekend for matchups against the University of Pennsylvania Quakers (8-3, 0-1 Ivy) and Princeton Tigers (3-6, 1-0 Ivy).
The Red split its matchups and will be looking to seek retribution, especially against Princeton who defeated Cornell on its senior night last season.
Coverage will be available on ESPN+.
