BOX SCORE

PHILADELPHIA - Columbia volleyball fell short and dropped a 3-0 decision to Penn Saturday evening at the Palestra. The Lions were defeated by set scores of 18-25, 21-25, 22-25.

The loss was the third straight for Columbia (7-7, 2-3 Ivy League) and second of the weekend. Penn improved to 8-8 overall and 3-2 in Ivy League play.

The Lions struggled to find their groove in the first set, quickly falling to as much as an 11-point deficit. A 4-1 run brought Columbia within five with the score at 20-15, but that would be as close as the Lions would get.

Columbia rallied with a 3-0 run to start off the second set for its first lead of the match. Penn responded with a 3-0 run of its own to tie things up at 4-4, but the Lions regained their lead thanks to three Penn attacking errors and a kill by senior Megan Gaughn. The Lions held on to their lead until midway through the set, when Penn evened the score at 12-12. The set went back and forth until a 17-17 tie, when the Quakers went ahead once and for all.

The lead reversed seven times in the third set, as another close battled ensued. With the score knotted at 19-19, Penn scored three unanswered points due to Columbia errors. A Gaughn kill ended the run, but Penn responded with a kill by Lauren Martin. Columbia stayed alive with a kill by Caitlin Brenton to make it 24-21, but the last point of the night would belong to Penn.

Gaughn led the way for Columbia with her second double-double of the weekend as she recorded 12 kills and 14 digs to go with three blocks. Junior Colleen Brennan posted her first double-double of the season with a 26 assist, 13 dig performance.

The Lions will look to get back into the win column as they return home to New York City for a pair of matches next weekend against Dartmouth on Friday, October 12 at 7 p.m. and Harvard on Saturday, October 13 at 5 p.m. in Levien Gym.