Senior all-American Rory Light powered Cornell’s volleyball lineup with 34 kills and 11 blocks as the Rams split two matches Saturday in the Grinnell Invitational at Darby Gym.
Light compiled 22 kills and a sizzling .487 attack percentage in a five-set loss to St. Catherine (9-25, 25-23, 25-21, 22-25, 16-14), marking the Rams’ first defeat of the young season. Cornell cruised past Marian in the day’s opening match, 25-17, 25-19, 25-17.
The Rams (2-1) went back and forth for two-plus hours with St. Catherine (4-1) in a battle that witnessed 35 ties and 21 lead changes. Cornell led 10-8 in the decisive fifth set, although couldn’t finish it off after the score was knotted at 12, 13 and 14.
Light coupled a fine offensive performance with a team-high five blocks. Ilah Perez-Johnson posted 15 kills against St. Catherine, followed by Grace Marti with eight.
Clare Green set 48 assists and contributed six kills. Freshman Ella McLaughlin led all players with 27 digs and was perfect on 26 serve reception chances. Ella Becker added 19 digs and two aces.
The Rams were sharp from the service line against Marian, firing 13 aces in three sets. Olivia Richards connected on four aces, while Green, McLaughlin, Becker and Simone McKenzie had two apiece.
Light delivered team-highs of 12 kills and six blocks. Green distributed 23 assists and Becker accounted for 15 digs. Carly Puffer made good on four blocks.
Earlier in the week, Cornell’s volleyball team showed its offensive balance and depth on opening night during Thursday’s 25-20, 25-18, 26-24 sweep over the University of Dubuque at Stoltz Sports Center.
Light played to her 2021 all-American form with a match-high 14 kills on .522 hitting. Freshmen Ella McLaughlin and Carly Puffer impressed in their collegiate debuts with nine and eight kills, respectively. Puffer recorded a .615 attack percent on 13 error-less swings.
McLaughlin contributed 13 digs, sharing team-high honors with Ilah Perez-Johnson who added seven kills. Newcomer Ella Becker scooped 12 digs in her first collegiate match.
Sophomore Clare Green led all players with 33 assists. She served two aces, as did Caitlin Babcock and McLaughlin. The Rams finished with five solo blocks, three coming from Grace Marti.
McLaughlin’s 6-0 service run got the Rams off and running early in Set 1, which was tied 16-16 before Cornell pulled away. Light smashed six kills in Set 2.
The Rams rallied from a 22-18 deficit in Set 3, and denied Dubuque of set point at 24-23. Cornell forged ahead 25-24 on back-to-back spikes from Light and Puffer. McLaughlin then capped her fine outing with a match-clinching ace.
Dubuque hit at a .162 clip and finished with 13 fewer kills than the Rams.