VOLLEYBALL: Bulldogs triumph this past weekend, securing two Ivy wins
Bulldogs bounce back from losing to Princeton, clinching two decisive victories over Harvard and Dartmouth this weekend.
Yale Athletics
This past weekend, the Yale Women’s Volleyball team defeated Dartmouth and Harvard, maintaining its lead in the Ivy League.
The team bounced back from a loss to Princeton on the weekend of Nov. 1. This was the Bulldog’s only conference loss this season, ending the team’s 30-match home win streak. That weekend, Elis also prevailed over the University of Pennsylvania.
The Bulldogs faced Dartmouth and Harvard at home this past Friday and Saturday, respectively. They dominated on both days, coming away with two clean sweeps that solidified their lead in the conference.
On Friday night, Yale took on Dartmouth and showed no mercy, defeating the Big Green in straight sets with scores of 25-15, 25-16, and 25-17.
The Bulldogs hit an impressive .330 as a team, recording a season-low 10 attack errors. Betsy Goodenow ’26 led the offense with a team-high 12 kills and contributed nine digs. Carly Diehl ’25 showcased her all-around talent, tallying 28 assists, seven digs, and six kills while hitting .400. Arya Jue ’27 added a defensive boost with seven digs and a team-high three service aces, while the Bulldogs held a 7-2 advantage in team blocks.
On Saturday, Yale celebrated Senior Day with another decisive performance, sweeping Harvard with scores of 25-17, 25-19, and 25-22.
The Bulldogs hit a season-high .377 as a team, racking up 51 kills on 114 swings with only eight errors. Diehl continued her stellar play, dishing out 44 assists (14.7 per set) and collecting nine digs. Goodenow led the offense once again with 14 kills and nine digs, hitting .393, while Gigi Barr ’26 contributed a team-high 15 kills with an outstanding .667 hitting percentage.
Yale also maintained a strong defensive presence, holding a 6-2 edge in team blocks, with Jue and Mila Yarich ’25 each posting 10 digs.
With the win, Yale improved to 11-1 in Ivy League play and moved closer to clinching the regular season Ivy League title with two matches left in the regular season.
“I am happy with how my team preformed these last two weekends, especially this past weekend,” Laurece Abraham ’27 said. “It was great to clinch the win on senior’s night and to come out of this weekend with two wins overall.”
The Bulldogs will wrap up their regular season on the road next weekend, facing Columbia and Cornell as they aim to secure the Ivy League title and momentum heading into the postseason tournament.