BOX SCORE

NEW YORK - Columbia volleyball fell just short Saturday evening as Harvard squeezed by the Lions, 3-0, in Levien Gym. The Lions were defeated by scores of 23-25, 22-25, 20-25.

Columbia fell to 8-8 and 3-4 in Ivy League action as Harvard improved to 7-11 on the season and 4-3 in conference play.

Columbia took the first lead of the game and held on until a 3-0 Harvard run pushed the Crimson to a 19-18 advantage and forced a Columbia timeout. The Lions came back with kills by Megan Gaughn and Heather Braunagel to regain the lead, 20-19. Each team scored again to keep Columbia ahead, 21-20, but Harvard embarked on another 3-0 run to go ahead, 23-21. The teams traded kills in the next four plays before Harvard ultimately edged the Lions, 25-23.

In the second set, the score was tied on 15 occasions before a winner was decided. The Lions and the Crimson tangled back-and-forth until an 11-11 tie, when Harvard used a 5-2 run to pull away, 16-13, forcing Columbia to call timeout. The Lions came back with three unanswered points to once again knot the score at 16-all, in turn causing Harvard to take a timeout. The set resumed back-and-forth action until Harvard used a 4-1 run to take a 23-20 advantage. The Lions responded with two points in a row, making it a one-point game, but the Crimson earned the next two points for the win and a 2-0 series advantage.

Harvard took the first lead in the fourth set, but Columbia tied the score three times to keep it close. After a 7-7 tie, the Crimson went ahead once-and-for-all in a close, yet final, third set.

Up next, Columbia begins a five-match road swing with a rematch at New York rival Cornell on October 26 at 7 p.m.  The Lions downed 3-0 on their home court earlier this season.