Yale hopes to ride momentum to title

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Aileen Daly, TD '01, and the Elis are entering the season's home stretch.

Momentum is the name of the game, and the women's volleyball team has it. After an impressive victory at the Yale Invitational on Fri., Nov. 6 and Sat., Nov. 7, the team looks to ride this wave through another tournament this weekend: the critical Ivy League championships, to be played at Brown from Fri., Nov. 13 to Sun., Nov. 15. After dropping only one set last weekend against Colgate, Navy, and Bucknell, the team is ready to challenge for league supremacy.

The Bulldogs (18-8, 4-3 Ivy) have dropped key league matches to Princeton, Dartmouth, and Brown, who are a combined 17-4 in league play. But head coach Peg Scofield is optimistic. "Everything is still up in the air," she said. Furthermore, she pointed out what the rest of the league knows: Yale has two things that no one else does. "We've got Rosie," she said, referring to star Rosie Wustrack, BR '99, "and we have depth that other teams just don't have."

Depth will be a powerful weapon. Scofield explained, "It's a long weekend, and hopefully, that will help us be consistent throughout."

Yale will open the weekend against Harvard on Fri., Nov. 13. Although the Elis defeated the Cantabs 3-1 earlier this season in an emotionally charged battle, Harvard cannot be counted out. The Crimson defeated Dartmouth, a team that shut out Yale. Additionally, Harvard has seen the recent return of several key players from injuries.

A victory over Harvard would lead to a potential showdown with Brown and a chance for the Bulldogs to avenge a tough 3-0 loss to the Bears during the regular season.

Scofield looks forward to returning to the top. "It's always a disappointment when we don't win the title," she said. A positive team attitude and strong leadership may keep Yale from experiencing that disappointment. With momentum on the Bulldogs' side, anything can happen.

--Steven J. Rosenthal

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