Behind the numbers

Ivy League Standings

1. Brown (4-0, 9-7)
2. Cornell (3-1, 11-5)
3. UPenn (2-1, 8-4)
4. Columbia (2-2, 8-5)
4. Harvard (2-2, 8-5)
4. Dartmouth (2-2, 7-7)
7. Princeton (0-3, 6-7)
8. Yale (0-4, 6-7)

Offense

After a strong 5-2 season start, the volleyball team has suffered a slide, losing five of their last six games. The Bulldogs have remained winless in Ivy League competition. Carissa Abbot, SM '02, Yale's leading scorer, has been an important part of the team's early success:

Team record when Abbot leads
team in kills: 4
Team record when Abbot does
not lead in kills: 2-6

Offensively, the Bulldogs have dominated their opponents, scoring 35 more kills than their opponents in the first half of their season. Since then, opponents have scored 86 more kills against the Bulldogs and have made 78 more attack attempts. The Bulldogs have only managed to win eight sets in their past six games:

Yale leaders No. of kills
Carissa Abbot 141
Jana Freeman 112
Lauren Burke 99
Dana Loberg 85

Defense

The defense has followed a similar pattern, digging 82 more spikes than their opponents in the first half of their season. However, opponents have dug 36 more Bulldog spikes in the last six games. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs have "out-dug" their opponents 781-735:

Yale leaders No. of digs
Jana Freeman 138
Allison Lungstrm 114
Dana Loberg 104

The Bulldogs have been adept with blocks, averaging 165 blocks per game to their opponents' 99. The key lies in the amount of block assists the Bulldogs have racked up.

Yale block assists: 250
Opponent block assists: 114

The disparities separating the two halves of the season have revealed vulnerable spots in both Bulldog offense and defense. The Bulldogs showed in the early season that they are more than capable of racking up victories in dominating fashion.

With two Ivy opponents this weekend, the women's volleyball team has an opportunity to showcase any changes they have made to their game.

—Compiled by Kevin Tran

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