NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Mollie Rogers and Kelly Johnson both blasted a season-high in kills to lead the Bulldogs to a 3-1 victory over Columbia on Saturday night. 

Rogers posted 26 kills, also a season-high mark in an Ivy League four-set match, and Johnson recorded 22 as Yale maintained its top position in the conference standings. It was Yale's 34th straight conference home win.

The Bulldogs improved to 6-1 in the Ivy League and 10-6 overall.  

Maddie Rudnick led all Bulldogs with 23 digs.

The scores of the match were 25-23, 25-23, 22-25 and 25-22.  

"We had to battle tonight," Yale head coach Erin Appleman said.  "Mollie and Kelly played very well."

The first set went down to the wire and was tied at 13 different points.  Columbia held a 22-20 lead before the Bulldogs stormed back.

Columbia committed two straight errors, then Rogers fired a kill to give Yale a 23-22 lead.  The Lions tied the match again before Maya Midzik and Kelsey Crawford delivered block assists to give the lead the back. Rogers finished off the set.

The Bulldogs came from behind in the second set.  Columbia led 19-15, and the Bulldogs rattled off five straight points to take the lead.  

The run started with a kill from Rogers, followed by another from Kaitlyn Gibbons.  Maya Midzik then struck for an ace along the right baseline.  Rogers tied the set and Johnson gave Yale the lead.

The Lions tied the set at 23 before Rogers and Johnson went back to back to give the Bulldogs the set.

Johnson helped the Bulldogs storm out to a 5-1 lead in the fourth set and the Bulldogs never trailed.

Kelsey Crawford, who had 48 assists and 15 digs, led off the set with an ace.  After Columbia tied the set, Johnson fired off a kill and followed it up with a block assist with Claire Feeley.

Rogers, who produced her eighth double-double of the season with 14 digs, made it 4-1 with a kill before Johnson responded with another.  The Bulldogs extended their lead to 14-6 - their largest of the set.

The Bulldogs return to action on Friday with a home match against Brown at 7 p.m.

Report filed by Ernie Bertothy, Yale Sports Publicity