NEW YORK, N.Y. – Harvard women's volleyball (12-1, 3-1 Ivy) earned a straight-set victory over Columbia (6-7, 0-4 Ivy) on Friday night at Levien Gymnasium. The Crimson won by set scores of 25-19, 25-21 and 25-20, using key runs in each set to secure the road win.
How It Happened
Harvard took an early 3-1 lead in the opening set before Columbia worked back into the match. The teams were tied at 13 when the Crimson put together a five-point run, with kills from Riley Resmer and Masina Ogbechie helping Harvard move ahead, 18-13. Columbia stayed within reach, but the Crimson maintained its advantage. After Sofia Rossi's service ace gave Harvard a 24-18 lead, Ryleigh Patterson finished the set with a kill to close out a 25-19 first ser victory for Harvard.
The Crimson opened the second set with five consecutive points, including two service aces from Rossi, to take a 5-0 lead. Columbia answered with a five-point run of its own, cutting Harvard's lead to 8-7. After the Lions tied the score at 10, the Crimson responded with a 3-0 run and later added another three straight points to go ahead, 16-12. Harvard built its lead to 23-18 late in the set before Columbia saved two set points, but another Patterson kill closed out the 25-21 win in the second set to put the Crimson in the driver's seat.
Harvard built an early 4-1 lead in the third set, but Columbia rallied to tie the score at 10 and then moved ahead, 12-10, with a four-point run. The Crimson answered immediately, scoring four straight points to regain the lead at 14-12. After Columbia pulled within 17-15, Harvard created separation with another four-point run, highlighted by an ace from Catlin Shao and a kill from Ogbechie. Columbia cut the margin to 22-19, but kills from Riley Resmer and Ogbechie helped Harvard take back the lead and work the team into a match point scenario. A wild, back-and-forth rally - that lasted over a minute - was eventually ended by a match-winning block by Patterson and Ali Farquhar. The Crimson closed out the sweep, bouncing back and securing its fourth Ivy League victory of the season.
Harvard Highlights
- Harvard hit .258 as a team, compared to .112 for Columbia. The Crimson finished with 35 kills, 11 total blocks and seven service aces.
- Patterson and Kayla Nwabueze led Harvard with seven kills apiece. Patterson added eight block assists, while Nwabueze contributed seven digs and a block.
- Resmer had five kills without an error on seven attacks, hitting .714. She also recorded three blocks and one ace.
- Rossi finished with six kills, six digs and a team-high three service aces.
- Setters Sophia Wei and Shao combined for 30 assists. Wei led the team with 17, and Shao added 13 assists and two aces.
Next Up
Harvard continues its road trip at Cornell on Saturday, Oct. 10. First serve is set for 5 p.m. in Ithaca, N.Y., on ESPN+.
