Volleyball approaching a crossroad in race

One out of two ain't good. That's the word from the women's volleyball squad after the team's mixed results in their opening weekend of Ivy play. After a disappointing loss to Princeton on Fri., Oct. 9 and a lackluster performance in a victory over Pennsylvania, the team is searching for momentum to carry it through the next stage of its conference schedule. With matches against Cornell and Columbia, the Bulldogs must improve their Ivy League record, and in the process establish themselves as a dominant force ready to make a serious run at the league championship.

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Volleyball must sweep its two Ivy matches against Columbia and Cornell this weekend in order to stay in serious contention for the Ivy League title.

On Wed., Oct. 14, the Elis notched a three set win against Stony Brook, powering them to six games over .500. Yet Wednesday's win was only a tune-up for Yale--the squad has now reached the point of its season when Ivy wins are first priority. Last weekend, the Elis opened the Ivy season hoping to jump out to an early lead in the conference standings, but they ran into a strong opponent in Princeton.

It seemed as if Yale had a chance to win throughout the duration of the match, but ultimately the Bulldogs fell 3-2 in a hard-fought battle that went down to the wire. While head coach Peg Scofield was optimistic, admitting that Yale's team "made [Princeton] play their best to beat us," she was obviously not happy with the end result. The coach cited several weaknesses in the team's play. "We made errors in serving and passing and we did not hit off of transition like I know we can," Scofield said.

Nonetheless, the Bulldogs had to put the struggle with the Tigers behind them and prepare for a match with Pennsylvania that had taken on a whole new meaning. A loss to the Quakers would have sent the team reeling to an 0-2 start in the Ivy League--a difficult deficit to overcome. But the Elis did not make a repeat performance of the Princeton contest and instead defeated Pennsylvania 3-0. Scofield, though happy with the victory, said she was still disappointed with the team's defense and credited Pennsylvania's own errors as a reason for Yale's victory. "We gratefully allowed them to lose," she said. That said, a victory is still a victory, and the Bulldogs were happy to come home with a .500 Ivy record after the disheartening loss to Princeton.

The Elis realize, however, that victories this weekend are imperative if they plan on entertaining championship hopes later in the season. They are still in contention for the title, but they "definitely need two wins this weekend," Daly said.

With games against Columbia and Cornell, neither recognized as top contenders, Yale has an excellent opportunity to improve its standing among other Ivy opponents. Despite this, captain and two-time Ivy League player of the year Rosie Wustrack, BR '99, warned that "the league is very close," and that "on any given night any team can win." Thus, it is crucial that the Bulldogs come to play this weekend. Wustrack knows how important it is to dominate these two teams and "make a statement to the rest of the league."

Scofield is also looking for the team to break out this weekend and play to its full potential, something it has failed to do recently. "Clearly we have the talent to be more dominant than we are showing," she emphasized.

In order to ensure important victories in the upcoming weeks, the Bulldogs must establish and control the tempo of their matches. Daly believes that her team has to play its own game and be sure not to"let other teams play to" Yale's level.

Led by Wustrack, who led the team with 39 kills and 28 digs last weekend, the Bulldogs know that they have to pick up the intensity of their play and eliminate costly errors to compete for the championship. They know they are capable of better play and hope that this weekend brings just that. The team looks forward to building on momentum from the Pennsylvania victory this weekend.

With both matches to be played in the friendly confines of Yale's John J. Lee Ampitheater, the Elis hope that the combination of strong fan support and a familiar setting will prove the perfect remedy for their recent struggles. Scofield knows that "playing at home can sometimes be just the right thing for a team having trouble showing off its stuff."

Back to Sports...