Columbia, Mo. – The Columbia College volleyball team improved to 4-0 on the season with a doubleheader sweep against Culver-Stockton (Mo.) and John Brown (Ark.) on the first day of the 2021 Hampton Inn Classic.

With the win against Culver-Stockton, CC head coach Allison Jones-Olson notched her 500th career victory.

Columbia (3-0) vs. Culver-Stockton (1-1)
Set 1: Columbia 25 | Culver-Stockton 14
The two teams split the first eight points before the Cougars rattled off four-straight, highlighted by two kills from Sidney Branson. After the teams matched 3-0 runs, the Cougars took control of the set with six points in a row to lead 17-13. The Cougars held the Wildcats to a -.040 attacking percentage in the set.

Set 2: Columbia 25 | Culver-Stockton 20
The Cougars raced out to a quick 5-1 lead with kills from Ellie Rockers and Ellie Crede. The Wildcats used a 4-0 spurt to close the gap to 13-12, forcing a Columbia timeout. The teams traded the following eight points before Columbia scored eight of the final 13 points of the set. Columbia had 18 kills on 36 attacks in the set.

Set 3: Columbia 25 | Culver-Stockton 23
Set three saw Culver-Stockton start strong as a service ace gave them a 14-11 lead. Culver-Stockton held a lead of 21-16, but that did not last long. Columbia ran off six straight points, capped off by another kills from Sidney Branson, and the Cougars led 22-21. Culver-Stockton tied the game at 23-23, but a pair of Wildcat errors gave CC the sweep.

LEADERS -
DIGS: Jaqueline Silva (CC) - 10
ASSISTS: Luisa Ferreira (CC) – 37
KILLS: Sidney Branson (CC) - 16
SERVICE ACES: Raven Buckley (CC) / Alyssa Baltimore (CSC) / Jaylin Ellis (CSC) - 2
BLOCKS: Abby Massengill (CC) / Ali Scott (CSC) – 3.0

Columbia (4-0) vs. John Brown (2-4)
Set 1: Columbia 25 | John Brown 23
Columbia took an early 10-5 lead after an attack error by John Brown. The Cougars continued their early dominance extending the lead to 19-8 after a Sidney Branson kill. The Golden Eagles did not go away quietly, scoring nine of the following 11 points to trim their deficit down to 21-19. A kill by John Brown made the score 24-23, but Ellie Crede found the court for a kill to end the set.

Set 2: Columbia 23 | John Brown 25
The Golden Eagles came out quick to take an early 11-5 lead before Columbia trimmed the lead down to 11-10 after an Ellie Rockers kill. SudeGundogan gave CC their first lead of the set at 13-12 with a dig. The two teams continued to battle, and JBU scored the final two points of the set.

Set 3: Columbia 25 | John Brown 15
John Brown carried the momentum over into the third set, taking a 7-4 advantage. The Cougars scored six of seven points and led 11-7, forcing a JBU timeout. The Golden Eagles climbed back to within eight points (19-11), but the Cougars cruised to the 10-point set win.

Set 4: Columbia 25 | John Brown 15
Again, the fourth set saw John Brown take an early advantage at 3-1, but the Cougars tallied five straight points highlighted by three kills from three different players. Columbia used a 5-1 run later in the set to increase their lead to 22-13 and went on to the set and match "W."

LEADERS –
DIGS: Jaqueline Silva (CC) – 20
ASSISTS: Luisa Ferreira (CC) – 33
KILLS: Ellie Rockers (CC) / Julie Milligan (JBU) - 13
SERVICE ACES: Raven Buckley (CC) - 4
BLOCKS: Savanna Riney (JBU) / Taylor Golmen (JBU) – 3

Up Next: 
The Cougars continue play in the Hampton Inn Classic on Saturday, Aug. 28, with matches at 9:00 vs. Evangel (Mo.) and 1:00 PM vs. Ottawa (Kan.).