ITHACA, N.Y. — Columbia Volleyball's (5-13, 2-6 IVY) attempt at a five-set comeback ran out of steam in the fifth and final set as the Lions dropped a five-set thriller at Cornell (6-10, 2-6 IVY) at Newman Arena on Saturday afternoon.
 
Columbia dropped the first two sets but battled back thanks to a team-high 20 kills from Noelle Foster, seven blocks from Soah Franklin and eight team aces across five sets.  But Cornell was able to take the crucial early lead in the fifth set to hold off the charging Lions.
 
Franklin's seven blocks was a part of Columbia's 12 total blocks, and it helped the Lions hold Cornell to .207 hitting in the match.  Unfortunately for the Lions, ball handling errors played a role in the match, as Columbia finished with 15, including three in the fifth and final set, as the self-inflicting errors undercut Columbia's valiant comeback efforts.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED: Cornell seemed to be in control over the first two sets, taking set one, 25-23, and set two, 25-18.  Over the first two sets the Lions were done-in by five ball handing errors and a .000 hitting percentage during the second set. 
 
Despite falling in the first two sets, a certain bit of fight was found amongst the Lions and a return to solid hitting in the third set, along with four team blocks powered Columbia back into the match.  Columbia and Cornell were tied seven times in the third set, with the final tie coming at 11-11, but despite a kill from Foster to put the Lions ahead for good, Cornell never fell more than four points behind for the remainder of the set.
 
The Lions cracked 20 points with Cornell only at 17, but two kills and an attack error allowed Cornell to pull within 21-20, the closest they would get for the remainder of the set.  A timeout from head coach Allison Keeley calmed the Lions down and the final two points would come from kills by Isa Lamus and Emily Teehan as the Lions finished off the third set with a score of 25-22 to push the match to a fourth set.
 
In almost a carbon copy of the third set, the fourth set's difference was Columbia's strong defense, holding the Big Red to only .116 hitting percentage and thanks to two team blocks and three service aces, the Lions would live to play a fifth set.  The final stretch was very similar to the third set, except that Cornell pulled even with the Lions as late as 21-21, and almost knotted it up again at 23-23.
 
Lamus' flair for late dramatics gave the Lions a big kill and set point at 24-22.  It was there that Foster continued her big day, finding the perfect spot to place her serve, recording a set winning ace to give Columbia the 25-22 fourth set win and force the match to a fifth and deciding set.  
 
In the fifth set, Columbia and Cornell traded points over the first six, but a pair of late ball handling errors and a kill from Joanna Chang gave Cornell a cushion at 7-5, one they would not give up.  The closest the Columbia would again get to Cornell would be at 13-10, where a Lamus kill helped the Lions break double digits.  But a kill from Chang and a Columbia attack error would be the final two points Cornell needed to hold off the charging Lions, finishing the fifth set with a 15-10 win and a 3-2 win overall in the match.
 
GAME NOTES: Franklin's seven total blocks ties a career-high … Foster's 20 kills is the third time this season she has finished with at least 20 kills … Foster's 11 digs a career-high … It is Foster's second-straight double-double (kills/digs) … Lauren Cho finished with a career-high 12 assists …Teehan finished with her third double-double of the season (13 kills/12 digs) … Vanessa Pan racked up a match-high 24 digs … This was Columbia's first five-set match of the 2021 season ... Columbia's 12 team blocks tie a season-high … Columbia's eight service aces ties a season-high (St. Francis Brooklyn) and is an Ivy League high for this season … The eight aces are the most in Ivy League play since the Lions recorded nine against Brown on Oct. 6, 2018.
 
VENUE POLICIES: Volleyball spectator attendance will be restricted to a limited pass list only due to University COVID protocols and in accordance with NYC Executive Order 225.

If you are Columbia fan, fully vaccinated and would like to attend a volleyball game this fall, please contact Assistant Volleyball Coach Julia Anderson at ja3445@columbia.edu to get on the Volleyball guest list. You must be on the guest list to be able to attend a volleyball game at Levien Gymnasium before the game you would like to attend. There is limited availability for each home contest.  
 
NEXT UP: Columbia returns to New York City with a weekend home swing with Brown visiting Morningside on Oct. 29 (7 p.m.), before Yale takes to Schiller Court at Levien Gym on Oct. 20 (5 p.m.).  Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+ and live stats provided by the Columbia Athletics Department.
 
FOLLOWING THE LIONS: Stay up to date on all things Columbia Volleyball by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsVB), Instagram (@culionsvb) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).