NEW YORK CITY – The University of Pennsylvania volleyball team (9-9, 2-7) tallied an early lead but couldn't hang on, falling 3-1 to the Columbia Lions (11-8, 4-5) on Friday night.
 
The Quakers came out swinging early, going toe-to-toe with the Lions throughout the first set. A critical 4-0 run in the middle of the first provided Penn with the cushion they needed, going from a 15-14 lead to a 19-14 lead. While the Lions ultimately tied the game at 23-23, kills from Parker Jones and Autumn Leak delivered a 27-25 first set victory.
 
During the first set, Jones set a personal milestone, reaching 750 kills in her Penn career. Jones ended the game with 14 kills, reaching 760 in her career, putting her within striking distance of the exclusive 800 kill club by the end of the season.
 
The Lions responded in the second set, battling with the Quakers in a similar manner. The Lions were able to give themselves an advantage of two or more on multiple occasions, but the Quakers tied the game at 20-20, 21-21 and 23-23. However, a Lions kill and a Quakers attacking error ended a comeback and gave the Lions a 25-23 set victory.
 
In what was a close affair the entire match, the third set was in Columbia's hands for much of the affair. The Lions built a lead of six on three separate occasions, forcing the Quakers to make a push. Daia Ernst tallied two of her career-high eight kills following the final six-point lead, helping Penn get to a deficit of two. The Lions were able to do enough to win, taking the third set 25-21.
 
A critical third set win propelled the Lions past the Quakers, as they took the fourth set 25-20. A 9-3 run by the Quakers brought them back into the game down 14-13, but it proved to be too little, too late. Despite the loss, the Quakers were efficient and fiery all game, recording a team hitting percentage of .315 and 56 assists to set up their 59 kills.
 
Penn continues their two-game road trip in the state of New York as they face off against Cornell on Saturday night at 5 p.m.