Bulldogs continue stride after turnaround win against Cornell

Back on Sat., Oct. 6, the Yale volleyball team was struggling; little did team members know they were on the brink of a much-needed transformation. Winless in Ivy League play, the Bulldogs had lost to six Ivy squads, with a combined score of 21-8 in games. Yet, on Sat., Ot. 27, the Elis came to life again against Cornell, posting a convincing 3-0 victory over the former league-leader Big Red.

Since that momentum-changing match, Yale has emerged victorious in two other Ivy matches, including a 3-0 win over Dartmouth and a 3-1 win over archrival Harvard; the Elis lost to both teams earlier in the season, 2-3 and 1-3 respectively.

PANO KALOGEROPOULOS/YH After defeating Cornell, the Elis have been on a three game winning streak.

Leading the attack for Yale in their three consecutive victories was Captain Carissa Abbott, SM '02, with 32 kills in the three matches. Newcomers Lauren Burke, SY '05, and Kelly McAlear-ney, JE '05, added 26 and 35 kills each. On defense, Dana Loberg, TC '03, tallied 66 digs during this three- match span.

This weekend the Elis will play two key away matches. On Fri., Nov. 9 they will take on Cornell for the second time in just over two weeks. Then, on Sat., Nov. 10, Yale will take on Columbia in New York City, also facing the Lions for the second time. Columbia came away with a 3-2 victory in their last match-up with the Bulldogs.

With the season approaching its end, the team hopes to carry on its current momentum into upcoming matches. Several team members, including Burke and McAlear-ney, credit their first Cornell match as the turning point of the year. The Elis plan to use that experience as a motivating force over the next few weeks.

After this weekend, three games remain on the Bulldog volleyball schedule. In addition to squaring off against Manhattan on Tues., Nov. 13, the Bulldogs have two vital home games against Ivy competition next weekend. Yale will take on Pennsylvania on Sat., Nov. 19 at home and will battle Princeton on Sun., Nov. 20 before closing its 2001 season.

—Jon Cohen

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