Bulldogs take on Brown, look to keep Ivy title
As Ivy games start, the team is using what they’ve learned in the pre-season to start off strong.
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The Yale volleyball team (7–2, 0–0 Ivy) has its sights set on snagging its fourth consecutive Ivy League title this year as conference gameplay kicks off this Friday at home against Brown (7–3, 0–0 Ivy).
The first Ivy League game will take place in John J. Lee Amphitheatre — gameplay starts at 7:30 p.m. The team has been practicing every weekday and competing against non-Ivy teams over the last few weeks in preparation.
“The team is super excited that it’s finally Ivy League play! We are also so excited to be back home after two long weekends on the road,” outside hitter and captain Ellis Dejardin ’22 wrote to the News. “We’ve been working really hard this last week to make some adjustments and really clean up our play, and it’s surely paying off.”
In the history of gameplay between the Elis and Bears, Yale has defeated Brown 25 times. Yale’s only loss was in 2015, marking the end of a 17-match win streak. The Eli’s current win streak against the Bears stands at eight.
Last week, after five consecutive wins, the Bulldogs faced their first loss against the University of Connecticut. Head coach Erin Appleman told the News that the team is trying to “focus on [themselves] and get better every time [they] get out on the court.”
Appleman also emphasized the importance of pushing the team by competing against challenging opponents. She noted that the pre-season scheduling enabled the team to push themselves and compete at a higher level.
Brown will mark the first conference game, followed by Columbia and Cornell next weekend. The team is also enthusiastic about its next three weekends being home games, where Yalies can go support the Bulldogs.
“I’m looking forward to the next opportunity to take the court and play Yale volleyball,” striker Renee Shultz ’23 wrote to the News. “We will be continuing to prepare by working hard at practice and being proud of the Y on our backs.”
Yale’s next game will take place at John J. Lee Amphitheatre on Oct. 1 against Columbia University.