VOLLEYBALL: Bulldogs clinch third consecutive Ivy League championship
After a bittersweet weekend split, Yale volleyball claimed its 14th Ivy League title.
Yale Athletics
The Yale women’s volleyball team secured its third straight Ivy League regular season title.
This past Friday the Bulldogs won over Columbia. In the last regular season campaign, the team fell to Cornell on Saturday in a hard-fought five-set match. Still, entering the weekend, just one win was enough for them to clinch at least a share of the Ivy League title.
Yale’s dominance marked another chapter in their storied program history, as 14th Ivy League volleyball regular season championship — and 13th under head coach Erin Appleman. The Bulldogs will proceed to play in the Ivy League tournament.
“We were looking forward to this weekend for a number of reasons,” said Laurece Abraham ’27. “Our main goal was to come together as a team and come out of this weekend with another Ivy League championship under our belt. Thanks to our amazing coaches and a team effort, we did just that.”
Yale overcame an early challenge from Columbia to secure a 27-25, 23-25, 25-15, 25-12 win. The Bulldogs’ offensive power surged in the third and fourth sets, hitting an impressive .533 and .480, respectively.
Setter Carly Diehl ’25 came close to a triple-double, posting 46 assists, ten kills and six digs. Betsy Goodenow ’27, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Week, contributed 13 kills and 12 digs while hitting .308. Yale dominated from the service line, recording 10 aces, including four from Cara Shultz ’25 and three from Mila Yarich ’25. Arya Jue ’27 anchored the defense with a match-high 17 digs.
With the win, Yale improved to 12–1 standing in the Ivy League and 17–4 overall this season, cementing their status as conference champions.
“I think our success is because we put the work in at practice, and we are held accountable by our great coaches,” said Goodenow. “Having fun and winning is also made easier when you play with amazing people, and we have lots of amazing people.”
A hard-fought five-set loss to Cornell in Ithaca, New York, tempered the weekend’s celebration. The Bulldogs started strong, taking the first two sets 27-25 and 26-24, but the Big Red rallied to win the final three sets 23-25, 18-25 and 11-15.
Despite the loss, the Bulldogs showcased their resilience. Goodenow led Yale with 18 kills and 15 digs, while Yarich added 11 kills, including the final two points of the second set to break a 24-24 tie. Three other Bulldogs — Barr, Yarich and Lauren Kellen ’26 — hit double figures in kills. Diehl maintained her stellar form, tallying 47 assists, ten digs and five error-free kills.
“I think we are excited to get back in the gym, work to get better, and try to correct some of the things that maybe we need to get better at in order to battle Cornell,” said Appleman. “I thought it was a great battle and I’m excited to have an opportunity to get out there and play again.”
The Bulldogs finished the regular season 12–2 in conference play, securing the No. 2 seed in the Ivy League tournament. This Friday, Yale will face No. 3-seed Cornell in a rematch in Princeton, New Jersey.