Cornell women’s volleyball dropped its first meeting of the weekend with Michigan on Saturday afternoon, falling 3-0 to the Wolverines at Cliff Keen Arena. Michigan won the sets 25-16, 25-12 and 25-14, sending Cornell to 4-4 on the season.
Jaida Sione led Cornell’s offensive effort with eight kills while hitting .471. Ava Bogan and Mackenzie Parsons each added five kills, with Bogan also leading the Big Red with seven total blocks. Parsons contributed four digs and one block.
Mary Wolcott finished with 12 assists to lead Cornell’s offense, while Sarita Pomar recorded a team-high eight digs along with one service ace. Haley Clark added two digs and one ace, while Kiran Rio contributed two kills, two blocks and two digs.
Cornell stayed within striking distance during portions of the opening set. The Big Red started with a 3-1 advantage and later held a 7-4 lead before Michigan responded. Cornell remained within one point at 10-9 and tied the set at 12-12, but the Wolverines closed with a 10-3 run to take the first set.
Michigan gained control early in the second set after Cornell tied the score at 5-5. The Wolverines then pulled away and built a six-point advantage at 13-7 before securing the 25-12 victory.
Cornell again opened the third set well, taking a 4-3 lead following an ace from Clark. Michigan answered with four consecutive points and gradually extended its advantage. The Big Red stayed within two at 9-7 and 10-8 before Michigan pulled away to complete the sweep.
Cornell finished with 23 kills, four service aces, nine blocks and 30 digs while hitting .093 as a team.
The Big Red will get another chance against Michigan Sunday when the teams meet again at Cliff Keen Arena at 1 p.m.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.