NEW YORK, NY – The Iona University Volleyball team faced Lafayette and Columbia in its first two games of the 2026 Big Apple Tournament. The Maroon & Gold opened the day with a win over Lafayette before falling to Columbia in four sets in the second game of the doubleheader.
MATCH ONE: iona: 3, lafayette: 1
- SET 1: The set kicked off with two kills from sophomore Julia Leonardo. The Gaels extended their lead to four as they scored four unanswered points to take a 7-3 advantage. The Leopards answered with three straight points of their own to cut Iona's lead to one. After a series of back-and-forth rallies, the score was knotted at 13. A kill from senior Ezzie Thompson put the Gaels up by one, but four unanswered points from the Leopards gave Lafayette a 17-14 lead. The Lafayette advantage would not last long, as three straight points from the Gaels tied the score at 17. A 5-2 run from Lafayette put the Leopards within reach of set victory, but the Maroon & Gold responded with six unanswered points to take control. The run was capped by a kill from senior Buse Tinaz, as the Gaels rallied to win the first set, 25-22.
- SET 2: The second set belonged to the Maroon & Gold from the jump, as the Gaels opened with a strong 7-0 run, kicked off by a kill from Leonardo and two consecutive aces from freshman Alex Patsos. The Leopards responded with a 4-2 run to limit the damage and bring the score to 9-4 in favor of the Gaels. The early run propelled the Gaels forward and gave them the momentum they needed, as they held Lafayette to just four additional points the rest of the way. The Gaels went on to dominate the second set, topping the Leopards 25-8.
- SET 3: Sophomore Katherine Ferng opened the scoring for the Maroon & Gold with a kill, but the Leopards responded in the do-or-die third set, opening with a 6-3 run to take an early 6-4 lead. With Lafayette holding a 9-8 advantage, the Leopards scored six unanswered points to extend their lead to seven at 15-8. A kill from Leonardo sparked a 5-2 run for the Gaels, allowing them to claw their way back into the set and cut the deficit to four at 17-13. The Leopards responded with a 7-3 run of their own to reach set point. The Gaels would not go away quietly, as a kill from Leonardo, three attack errors from Lafayette, and a service ace from junior Ava Reding brought Iona back within four. The comeback effort would not be enough, however, as a kill from the Leopards secured the third-set victory.
- SET 4: After the difficult third set, the Gaels opened the fourth with a 6-3 run, highlighted by three kills from Leonardo. The Leopards responded with a strong run of their own to take an 11-8 lead. After falling behind by three, the Gaels answered with a 6-2 run, capped by kills from Ferng and Leonardo, to take a one-point lead at 14-13. Following a handful of back-and-forth rallies, the score was knotted at 17. The Gaels regained the lead on a kill from sophomore Jaylyn Simon, but their advantage would not last long, as four unanswered points from Lafayette gave the Leopards a three-point edge. A late 3-1 run, fueled by two kills from Tinaz, brought the Gaels within one at 22-21. The late push sparked a match-clinching finish, as the Gaels closed the set with four unanswered points. A kill from Ferng capped the comeback and secured the 25-22 fourth-set victory for the Gaels.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Leonardo had a double-double with 21 kills and 11 digs.
- Tinaz tallied double-digit kills with 10 while adding six block assists.
- Junior Avery Guame and freshman Alex Patsos anchored the defense with 14 digs each.
- Simon led the Maroon & Gold in asssits with 29.
THE OPPONENT
- McKenzie led the Leopards attack with nine kills and three aces.
- Calhoun led the passing game with 14 assists, and right behind her was Wilson with 13.
- Kamphuis and Chmura each had four block assists.
- McKenzie also led the defense with 15 digs.
MATCH TWO: Columbia: 3, Iona: 1
- SET 1: The Maroon & Gold started set one hot, utilizing three attack errors from the Lions and a kill from Leonardo to jump out to an early 4-0 lead. After a couple of back-and-forth rallies, the Gaels extended their lead to six behind three kills from Leonardo and a service ace from freshman Grace Daniels. Iona continued its strong play, using a trio of service aces to fuel a 7-1 run and extend its lead to nine, with the score sitting at 16-5. The Gaels would use that momentum to propel themselves to a 25-17 set one victory.
- SET 2: The Lions bounced back nicely in the second set, opening with a 7-2 run. An attack error looked to halt the run, but Columbia responded with a 9-1 run to push its lead to nine, with the score sitting at 16-4. After a handful of back-and-forth rallies between both programs, the Gaels looked to climb back into the set as three Lions attack errors helped fuel a 4-1 run to bring Iona within 10 at 21-11. The late rally would not be enough, as the Gaels fell 25-15 in set two.
- SET 3: The Lions picked up where they left off in set three, opening the frame on a 12-2 run. A kill from Thompson sparked a 5-1 run to bring Iona back within six. The Gaels continued to fight their way back, using three unanswered points, including two kills from junior Mija Jegers, to pull within four at 14-10. After both teams traded points for a handful of rallies, the Gaels cut the deficit to two with five straight points. Four unanswered points from the Lions, however, closed out the set as Columbia took set three, 25-19.
- SET 4: The fourth set began with both teams trading back-and-forth rallies, with the Lions holding a 5-4 advantage. Columbia began to build separation with five unanswered points to extend its lead to 10-4. The Gaels responded with a 5-0 run, utilizing three Lions attack errors and two kills from Jegers to cut the deficit to two. Despite continued back-and-forth rallies, the Maroon & Gold were unable to put together another run as they fell 25-18 in set four.
IONA PERFORMERS
- Leonardo led the attack with 13 kills.
- Simon led in assists with 24.
- Gaume was the leader in digs with nine.
THE OPPONENT
- Hiemstra was the leader in kills with 19.
- Yu was the assist leader for the Lions with 25.
- Seaman was the leader in digs with 15. Maynulet was second in digs with 14.
- Gravlee led the Lions in block assists with five.
NEXT MATCH
The Maroon and Gold return to action tomorrow to close out the 2026 Big Apple Tournament as they face off against FDU. First serve is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.
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