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The Yale volleyball team dominated last weekend, sweeping Columbia and Cornell in straight sets. The Bulldogs’ Ivy record is now 2-1.
Wei-Ting Shih
Journalist
muscosportsphotos.com
Last weekend, the Yale volleyball team (9-3-0, 2-1-0 Ivy) outscored Columbia (4-8-0, 1-2-0 Ivy) and Cornell (4 -7-0, 0- 3-0 Ivy), winning both games in straight sets.
The Bulldogs’ 3-0 victories marked the Ivy League’s first full weekend. More than 400 people attended the games at the John J. Lee Amphitheater, with 211 spectators at the Columbia game on Friday and 203 at the Cornell game on Saturday. Last weekend also marked the first time Yale has played against the Lions and the Big Red in over a year.
“The best parts of our games this weekend were the fun and the energy we brought [at] every point, ”outside hitter Bonnie Bostic ’24 wrote to the News. “Everyone played a role in our success. Our offensive and defensive effort has been the best this season. “
The Bleu et Blanc have now extended their winning streak against both teams. Yale is now undefeated in eight games against Columbia and has emerged victorious against Cornell for five straight games. The Elis also improved their Ivy League record to 2-1.
“This league will be competitive every time you play,” Yale volleyball head coach Erin Appleman told The News. “I was very happy to be able to win at home and for this young team to feel what it’s like to win Ivy League games.”
The week before the clashes against Columbia and Cornell, the Yale volleyball team lost 3-2 in a close match against Brown. Despite the loss to the Bears, the Bulldogs managed to bounce back this week and showed no signs of slowing down in their quest to defend their 2019 Ivy title.
“I thought we made some improvements… and finally did what we needed to do with sweeping,” wrote libero Maile Somera ’24 in a message to the News about the difference in results. “I thought we were more aggressive and felt more consistent as a team. “
The Bulldogs had slow starts in their first two sets of the game against the Lions, but were able to rally to take control. Yale trailed 16-14 in the first set, then scored six consecutive runs, and trailed 14-9 in the second set before coming back with 10 consecutive runs. The Elis won the third set with a comfortable 25-16 lead.
The game against Cornell featured many tiebreakers. In the first set, the Bulldogs were tied at 19-19, but managed to score the next five points to dictate the pace of the game. In the second set, there was a 16-16 tie, but the Elis once again managed to rally to win 25-19. In the last set, Yale managed to break out of a tough 22-22 tie by scoring the next three points to win the game and secure a sweep over Big Red.
In addition to praising the team’s overall performance, Appleman also noted that the players “did a great job from the service line.” The Bulldogs’ service prowess was in the spotlight last weekend, as they scored five aces against Columbia and nine against Cornell. In contrast, the Big Red made only four and the Lions did not manage a single one.
“I’m really proud of the way we’ve played this weekend,” outside forward Mila Yarich ’25 wrote to News. “I thought in both games we were able to stay calm and disciplined, regardless of the score at times, which helped lead to our 3-0 sweeps. We felt prepared and knew what to expect from our opponents.
Yarich was one of the outstanding players of the weekend and was recognized as the Ivy League Rookie of the Week for his contribution to Yale’s winning pair. She had a 0.500 hit percentage and had 22 kills and 10 overall digs against the Lions and Big Red. Bostic was also strong offensively, registering 24 kills in total. Outside striker Kathryn Attar ’22 and Somera also performed well, with 18 and 30 digs, respectively. Passer Carly Diehl ’25 shone with 64 total assists and a critical service ace that saw the Bulldogs tie the ball against Cornell.
The Elis will now look to the weekend, where they face Harvard and Dartmouth for the final home games of the month. Yale will then spend the next three weeks on the road, returning to New Haven to host the University of Pennsylvania on Friday, November 5.
“We are looking forward to another chance to win at home,” Somera said of the upcoming games against the Crimson and Big Green. “We have worked hard in training and are delighted to dominate and show that we are improving every week.”The Bulldogs currently sit third in the Ivy League volleyball rankings, behind Princeton and Brown.
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