Cornell volleyball opened Ivy League play in convincing fashion Saturday, sweeping Columbia 3-0 at home behind an efficient offensive attack and a dominant showing at the net.
The Big Red won 25-18, 25-18, 25-19 to improve to 5-5 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while Columbia fell to 6-4 and 0-1. Cornell hit .412 as a team and finished with a 46-33 advantage in kills.
Mackenzie Parsons led the way with 14 kills on 21 attacks, committing just one error while hitting .619. She also recorded two blocks and two digs. Ava Bogan added 11 kills on 19 attacks while hitting .526 and contributed a team-high seven blocks, including two solo blocks.
Kiran Rio finished with eight kills, while Sydney Zanca added four kills and three block assists. Cornell totaled nine blocks as a team and held Columbia without a block.
Mary Wolcott and Mikayla Gray combined for 37 assists, with Wolcott recording 20 and Gray adding 17. Gray also served two aces, while Sara Pomar led Cornell defensively with 14 digs.
Cornell took control of the opening set after a 4-4 tie, using a four-point run that included consecutive aces from Gray to build a 17-10 advantage. Columbia closed within four, but Rio’s kill finished the set.
The Big Red pulled away late in the second set with five straight points to turn a 16-14 lead into a 21-14 cushion before closing it out.
Columbia opened the third set with a 3-0 lead, but Cornell answered with a five-point run and never trailed again. The Big Red hit .548 in the final set, recording 18 kills with just one error.
Cornell returns to action Friday, October 2, visiting Penn at 6 p.m. for its first Ivy League road match of the season.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.