ERIE, Pa. — Niagara volleyball fell to Columbia 3-1 (17-25, 25-9, 25-17, 25-22) in the second game of the Mercyhurst Invitational at the Mercyhurst Athletic Center Friday afternoon.
The Purple Eagles fell to 0-5, while the Lions improved to 5-0.
Set 1
Niagara built the match's biggest cushion in the opening set. After the teams traded the first several points and sat tied at 3-3, the Purple Eagles ripped off a stretch built on kills from Payton Lee and Katelynn Rottman to open a 7-3 lead. Leah White served back-to-back aces to push the margin to 14-6, and Niagara kept building, going up 17-7 on a Rottman kill. Columbia chipped away behind Danica Nordlicht and Alexia Cornea, pulling within 24-17, but Rottman closed out the set with her ninth kill of the frame for a 25-17 Niagara win.
Set 2
After an early back-and-forth that saw the score tied at 3-3 and 4-4, Columbia reeled off point after point, Claire Mo and Alexia Cornea combining for a stretch that turned a 4-4 tie into a 14-4 Columbia lead. A service error ended the Lions run and kills from Rottman and Lee brought it to an 18-7 set. Lee added one more kill but Niagara never got closer than five points the rest of the way in a 25-9 defeat.
Set 3
Columbia carried its set two momentum into the third, jumping to a 5-0 lead that included two service aces from Elena Maynulet before Niagara got on the board. The Purple Eagles fought to stay within range, with two kills from Lee and a kill from Jakayla Brown to bring it to a 10-6 game. The team's traded points back and forth with Lee and Kattai leading the way for the Purple Eagles, but Columbia closed it out 25-17 for a 2-1 match lead.
Set 4
Niagara got the set off to a fast start behind Katelynn Rottman, who served three straight aces to stake the Purple Eagles to a 4-1 lead. Columbia answered and eventually flipped the set with a run of its own, including three consecutive service aces from Clara Yu that pushed the Lions in front. Trailing 16-24 late, Niagara wasn't finished, the Purple Eagles reeled off five straight points of their own, capped by a Rottman ace, to cut the deficit to 22-24 and force Columbia to work for it. Josie Zynczak's kill off a Yu assist finally closed out the match for the Lions, 25-22, sealing the 3-1 decision.
Game Notes
Niagara is now 3-3 all-time against Columbia
This was the Purple Eagles first time facing the Lions since 2009
Lee led the Purple and White with 13 kills
Rottman tallied a career-high four aces
Brown recorded a career-high six blocks
Up Next
Niagara wraps up the Mercyhurst Invitational against host Mercyhurst Saturday September 12 at 2:00 PM.
