HANNIBAL, Mo. – The Columbia College volleyball team won twice on Tuesday at Hannibal-LaGrange. The Cougars swept the Trojans 25-15, 25-16, 25-23 in American Midwest Conference play, then beat Evangel 26-24, 25-19, 25-19. Columbia moved to 15-6 on the season and 5-0 in the AMC, while Hannibal-LaGrange fell to 5-11 (2-3 AMC) and Evangel to 10-9.
Columbia 3, Hannibal-LaGrange 0
Columbia fell behind 4-1 in the opening set before taking control and closing it out 25-15. The Cougars jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the second on the way to a 25-16 win. Hannibal-LaGrange built a 12-8 lead in the third and led 23-22 late. A Trojan service error tied it, and Rowan Carr served the final two points, starting with an ace, to finish the sweep. Carr and Viola Giangreco each had seven kills, and Taylor Johnson added 15 digs.
Columbia 3, Evangel 0
Evangel held set point at 24-23 in the opener. Carr tied it with a kill, and Alayna Backes won the set with back-to-back blocks. In the second, Columbia scored eight straight points on Addison Burroughs' serve to turn a 9-8 lead into a 17-8 advantage. Evangel opened the third on a 4-0 run, but the Cougars rallied to tie it. With Columbia up 17-16, the Cougars scored four straight points to pull away, and Samira Baltazar ended the match with a kill. Giangreco had nine kills, Carr added eight kills and 10 digs, and Johnson recorded 18 digs and three aces.
