Branson Eclipses 1000-Career Kill Plateau as Volleyball Goes 1-1

Des Moines, Iowa – The No. 19-ranked Columbia College volleyball team went 1-1 on the final day of the Grand View (Iowa) tournament, dropping the first match to No. 2 Viterbo and coming back to defeat Trinity Christian.

Sidney Branson accumulated 20 total kills in the two matches, eclipsing the 1,000-career kill plateau.

Columbia (21-6) vs. Viterbo (29-1)
Set 1: Columbia 15 | Viterbo 25
Viterbo used a 6-0 run to take control of the first set, 14-7. The two teams would trade points, and Viterbo took the first set.

Set 2: Columbia 23 | Viterbo 25
The two teams were tied at 20-20 before Viterbo scored five of the last eight points to take set No. 2.

Set 3: Columbia 25 | Viterbo 27
The Cougar led 22-21 after a service ace by Jaqueline Silva, but back-to-back points by Viterbo gave them the 23-22 advantage. The Cougars scored two straight points but could not extend the match, as the V-Hawks scored the final three points.

Leaders:
Digs: Adrianna Reinhart (VU) – 23
Assists: Luisa Ferreira (CC) – 29
Kills: Katie Frohmader (VU) – 14
Aces: Abbey Johnson (VU) – 3
Blocks: Miah Garant (VU) – 3

Columbia (22-6) vs. Trinity Christian (7-18)
Set 1: Columbia 25 | Trinity Christian 20
The Trolls jumped out to a quick 7-4 lead, but the Cougars battled and tied the set at 15-15 after a kill from Danielle Prior. The Cougars were leading 21-20 when they scored the final four points to win the set.

Set 2: Columbia 25 | Trinity Christian 20
The Cougars used an 8-0 run to take an 11-2 lead in set two. The Trolls hung tough, but the Cougars took the second set.

Set 3: Columbia 25 | Trinity Christian 19
CC had another strong start, jumping out to a 7-1 advantage. Trinity Christian used a 6-0 run to climb back within six points, 25-19, but a kill from Beyza Bektasoglu ended the match.

Leaders:
Digs: Kenzie Gibson (TCU) – 13
Assists: Luisa Ferreira (CC) – 32
Kills: Sidney Branson (CC) – 11
Aces: Jaqueline Silva (CC) – 3
Blocks: Brooke Veldman (TCU) – 7

Up Next:
The Cougars travel to St. Louis, Mo. on Tuesday for a match against Missouri Baptist. The first serve is set for 7:00 PM.