Northeastern volleyball (4-2, 0-0 CAA) defeated the Columbia University Lions (0-3, 0-0 Ivy League) and the University of New Haven Chargers (1-3, 0-0 NEC) but lost to the Fordham University Rams (4-2, 0-0 Atlantic 10) at the Big Apple Tournament Sept. 5 and 6.
In its first matchup of the tournament, Northeastern lost to Fordham in four sets. Freshman opposite hitter Elle Lucas led the team in kills with 13, freshman setter Sofia King led the team in assists with 26 and senior libero Nadia Koanui led in digs with 30.
In the first set, the Huskies fell short 25-19 to open up the tournament. After going up 3-2, Fordham went on a seven-point run to make the score 8-3. Despite Northeastern closing in with a score of 20-18 Fordham, the Rams successfully got five of the last six points which sealed the set.
The second set was a stronger performance for the Huskies and came down to the wire. After falling 4-1, Northeastern quickly fought back to tie the score at 4-4. Fordham took back the lead until late in the set, when a three-point run for Northeastern put it up 17-17. The Rams were not going to surrender to the Huskies, going on a four-point run to go up 20-17. After each team added a point, Northeastern had a four-point run of its own to take a narrow lead, 22-21. The Rams notched two points to go back again before Northeastern tied it up once more. After both teams added a point, the set was tied at 24-24. Unfortunately for the Huskies, a kill and an ace gave the Rams the set win 26-24.
The Huskies kept the game alive by winning the third set 25-21. Although Fordham went up 3-0 to begin the frame, the Huskies fought back to tie it at 4-4. Fordham managed to pull ahead 7-5, but with Koanui behind the service line, the Huskies went on a five-point run to go up 10-7. Fordham added two points to put it within one, but the Huskies got eight of the next 10 points to increase their lead to 18-11. After bringing the score to 21-12, the Rams were on fire with a six-point streak to cut Northeastern’s lead to three. An error on Fordham’s part and a kill by sophomore outside hitter Brynn Smith ended the Rams’ scoring streak, but they weren’t done yet, adding another three points to bring the set to 23-21. Luckily, an error for the Rams and a kill for Northeastern gave the Huskies the set 25-21.
The fourth set was another tight battle. While the Huskies got the first point of the frame, the Rams took the lead 3-1. Both teams exchanged points before sophomore outsider hitter Jane Nelson added two kills for Northeastern to tie it. Back-and-forth action allowed Fordham to go up 20-13 before Northeastern scored eight of the last 10 points, slicing Fordham’s lead down to one at 22-21. Similarly to the second set, Northeastern tied it up at 24-24, but the Rams tacked on two more to win the set 26-24 and give them the game win.
The Huskies were back in action that night against Columbia, taking the win 3-1. Junior middle blocker Kaylin Daniels led in kills with 12, junior middle blocker Beatrice Gennari led in blocks with eight and sophomore setter Arina Sosinovica led in assists with 23. Koanui led the team in digs with 12 and had a career high six aces.
The first set stayed close, with the score 7-6 Columbia until the Lions went on a five-point run to go up 12-6. Both teams exchanged points before Northeastern went on a three-point run thanks to two aces from Koanui and a kill. Action was back-and-forth until the Lions tacked on one more, bringing the score to 15-11. With a four-point run, the Huskies tied the set at 15-15. After four lead changes and the score tied up at 20-20, a five-point run for the Huskies secured the set to put Northeastern up 1-0.
The Huskies struggled the most in the second set, handing it to Columbia 25-18. Northeastern kicked off the frame with an ace, but Columbia quickly fought back to go up 2-1. In the beginning of the set the upper hand moved back-and-forth until, with the score 7-7, Columbia strung together five points to go up 12-7. The teams continued playing point-for-point until the Huskies managed to pull it to a one-point difference at 14-13 Columbia. However, the Lions were quick to increase their lead, taking seven of the next nine points. Both teams exchanged kills before Northeastern added two more points to bring the set to 22-18, but the Lions were going strong, and with three straight kills, tied the game up at one set each.
The third set was an intense back-and-forth battle that Northeastern managed to pull away from victorious. After a three point run for the Huskies made the score 8-6 in Northeastern’s favor, the Lions quickly tacked on four points to take the lead back at 10-8. Northeastern kept it between one until, when down 13-12, three consecutive kills and an error by the Lions put the Huskies up 16-13. Columbia quickly brought it to a one-point difference again, but Northeastern maintained a lead, staying up 18-16 until three points for Columbia gave the Lions the lead again. Both teams went point-for-point until the set was at 27-26 Columbia. Needing to win by two, three consecutive kills for the Huskies sealed the deal, giving them the intense set at 29-27.
After the nailbiting third set, the Lions seemed out of steam in the fourth set, falling to the Huskies 25-14. In the beginning, Columbia came out strong, taking the first point of the set and going up 5-3, but the Huskies were ready. Taking eight out of the next 10 points, Northeastern went up 12-7. While Columbia managed to tack on one point, the Huskies strung together five points to increase their lead to 17-8. The teams exchanged points before the Lions took five of the next seven to keep themselves alive and bring the score to 20-14 for Huskies. Unfortunately for the Lions, the Huskies were dominant, scoring five points in a row to take the set and the game, 3-1.
The team’s final game of the tournament was a close matchup against the University of New Haven, going all the way to five sets with Northeastern taking the win 3-2. Redshirt freshman outside hitter Valentina Meirelles led the team in kills with 16, Daniels led in blocks with eight, King led in assists with 27 and Koanui — once again — led in digs with 21.
The Huskies opened up scoring in the first set, taking four of the first five points to go up 4-1. The set stayed close until two four-point runs for the Huskies put them up 18-9. Both teams added kills before three consecutive kills for the Chargers cut the lead down to a six-point difference. Both teams answered each other’s attacks until Northeastern, leading 23-17, tacked on two points to take the set 25-17.
Although New Haven got the first point of the second set, Northeastern was quick to fire off five points to go up 5-1. The Huskies managed to increase their lead to 8-3 before the Chargers scored three points in a row, but the Huskies quickly fought back with five of their own to bring the set to 13-6. The Chargers added two points before the next 10 points alternated between teams to bring the set to 18-13. Northeastern strung two points together to increase its lead to seven before the Chargers answered back with four to bring the set to 20-17. Three aces by freshman setter and outside hitter Emma Rowell and an ace brought it to match point at 24-17. Although the Chargers managed to get a kill, Northeastern finished with a kill of its own to take the set 25-18.
After winning the first two sets, it seemed like the Huskies were breezing by, but the third set was a different story. The Chargers were fired up, opening the set up by going 5-0. Northeastern battled back, cutting the Chargers’ lead to 7-6 before tying the set up at 10-10. A kill by Rowell and an ace gave the Huskies their first lead by more than one point in the set so far. The battle continued as New Haven tied it back up at 15-15 and again at 17-17. As soon as Northeastern took the lead at 18-17, the Chargers scored three points to go up 20-18 New Haven. The Huskies managed to tie it back up at 23-23, but an attack error by Lucas and a kill gave the Chargers the set, 25-23.
The Chargers came out strong in the fourth set, going up 8-3 and maintaining their lead until, , with the score 14-11 New Haven, Northeastern went on a five-point run to take the lead 16-14. The Huskies took two of the three next points, but the Chargers had a five-point run of their own to take back the lead, 20-18. The Huskies again battled back to go ahead 22-21, but when up 23-22, a three-point run gave the Chargers the set 25-23.
The fifth and final set began with the Chargers on top 1-0. Despite gaining two points and the lead, the Chargers were quick to fight back and went up 5-2. Both teams added a point before Northeastern overtook the lead again with a four-point run to go up 7-6. The Chargers battled back and tied it back up at 8-8, but Northeastern fired off four more points to get ahead 12-8. The Huskies let up one more point before three consecutive errors on New Haven’s fault gave Northeastern the game win, 3-2.
The Huskies are back in action against the Fairfield University Stags (3-2, 0-0 MAAC) Sept. 12 at 6 p.m.
