Leak hit career personal records on two consecutive nights last week. Her streak of domination began with 23 kills in the University of Pennsylvania game, helping the Bulldogs quiet the Quakers in a 3–0 win on Friday. The second night, Leak topped the record she set the night before in a 24-kill game against Princeton University, helping the Elis capture the win against the Tigers 3–1 on Saturday. 

When her teammates learned that Leak received this prestigious award, they said that no one was surprised.

“Everyone was incredibly happy for Audrey, but it comes as no shock,” said Laurece Abraham ’27. “Audrey always puts so much effort into our practices and our games. She serves as someone to look up to, especially for the freshman this year, and we are all so incredibly proud of her.”

Audrey ended September on a high. She averaged 6.71 kills per set and had a .482 hitting percentage during these games. 

When the AVCA GameChanger Division I Women’s Player of the Week was awarded on Oct. 3, Leak’s coaches said they knew she would be perfect for the distinction.

“Audrey had an unbelievable weekend,” said head coach Erin Appleman. “She was simply unstoppable. She has worked very hard on learning a new position and working on her transition this season. Audrey has really improved her overall game, while being a great leader on and off the court.”

Leak transitioned from right side hitter to outside hitter this year, with Carly Diehl ’25 as her setter. When Leak spoke with the News, she mentioned that she knew she would need to play at a high level against Penn and Princeton since the Quakers and Tigers are formidable opponents. She was ready to compete and have fun. 

Unlike her teammates, Leak said she was surprised when she received the call informing her that she won the award.

“It truly is such a big honor and I am so proud of my team and my coaches for helping me accomplish it,” she told the News. “It’s a great accomplishment for Yale volleyball, and I am very happy that all the work that my team and I have been putting in everyday in practice was recognized nationally. I am very proud of myself, but as a whole, this was only possible because my passers and setter also had great games, and they were able to give me great opportunities all weekend.”

Yale plays the Harvard Crimson this Friday at home in the John J. Lee Amphitheater. 

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The Bulldogs played their first conference game of the 2023 season after being selected as the preseason favorite to win the Ivy League, with the Princeton Tigers (5–5, 2–0 Ivy) and the Brown Bears not far behind.

The Bulldogs have faced dominant opponents already this season.  

Mila Yarich ’25 emphasized the need for consistency when the momentum of the game is not with the team.

“Our offense honestly remains the same,” Yarich said. “You can’t control the uncontrollables. You have to know when to be aggressive and when to be smart. These are big teams but that doesn’t mean there aren’t many of the same ways to score.”

The Brown Bears came out ready to dominate the Bulldogs, and in the first two sets, it seemed as though they would. The close first set saw the energetic Yale team battling for every point, but they could not rally enough to win, losing 25–23. In the second set, Mariia Sidorova’s 18 kills and Kate Sheire’s 17 kills for Brown seemed to silence the Bulldogs. Despite excellent rallies for the Blue and White, the bleak sets gave way to the opponent, and Brown won the second set 25–16.

After the first two sets, head coach Erin Appleman sat her players down and told them to return to the basics of the game.

“If you want to achieve greatness, you have to be great,” she said. “Simplify it. If your job is to pass, pass; if your job is to set, set. You have to concentrate on each point so you can do what you need to do.”

Taking their coach’s message to heart, the Bulldogs barked back in the third set, winning 25–23. The grit of the offense shined with the 13 kills of Ivy League Rookie of the Week Betsy Goodenow ’27 and 11 from Gigi Barr ’25. Most notably, the depth of the bench helped the team surge back, with substitutions like Laurece Abraham ’27, Arya Jue ’27 and Audrey Leak ’24 bringing energy to the court. 

Jue acted as a key substitution for the Bulldogs, shifting the momentum back to Yale.

“The team always has my back and there is a special bond on the court in which we are all able to trust each other when things get tough,” she said to the News. “The team energy toward the end was electric and just a super exciting environment to both watch and play in.”

In the fourth set, the Bears attempted to claw back but were held back by the Bulldogs’ defense. Barr and Goodenow fought the hits of Sidorova and Sheire, with a combined total of 11 blocks. Not far behind was Yarich, with 4 blocks alongside her 13 kills. Abraham had 4 key kills in the fourth set and the Blue and White took the next set 25–23.

Finally, in the fifth set, Brown’s hopes of ending the Bulldogs’ home winning streak faded with Goodenow’s 13th kill, ending the match with a set win 18–16. Thirteen players contributed to Yale’s win in their first five-match game of the season.

“I was most impressed by the team’s fight,” Appleman said to the News. “Plus, the depth of our substitutions gave us not just good points but more energy; they were able to lift us up. Resiliency is a part of our team culture.”

Appleman added that a “tough preseason” has helped the team succeed during the regular season.

She also told the News that she encourages fans to attend the high-intensity matches.

“We shared the title with Princeton last year, but we don’t plan to share again,” she said. “This is a big game you’ll want to watch!”

The Bulldogs host the Penn Quakers (2–10, 0–2 Ivy) and the Princeton Tigers at home this next weekend at the Payne White Gymnasium’s John J. Lee Amphitheatre.

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After excelling at the Yale Invitational the weekend prior, the Bulldogs sought to extend their four-game win streak in preparation for the start of conference play next weekend. 

Mila Yarich ’25 has been a key player for the Bulldogs this year. She told the News that the team felt elated to play against big competition.

“Chicago was a super exciting environment,” she said. “Going in, we knew we were playing challenging teams and that this was an opportunity for growth, as well as an opportunity to prepare us for conference play.”

At the invitational, Yale faced the Northwestern Wildcats, their first Big 10 opponent since 2019. Gigi Barr ’25 returned to her home state after coming off a 13-kill game against the University of Connecticut (5–7, 0–0 Big East). The Wildcats went to work against the Bulldogs, posting a 3–0 victory, with set wins of 25–22, 25–19 and 25–13. Julia Sangiacomo and Leilani Dodson each posted 11 kills for Northwestern. Despite the eight kills of both Barr and Betsy Goodenow ’27, the typically-powerful offense of the Bulldogs hushed against the hiss of the Cats.

Yarich said the team learned a lot from their battle against Northwestern.

“The mindset going into the match was that this is such an incredible opportunity to play against a Big 10 team like Northwestern,” she said. “Though not the outcome we wanted, it was a great opportunity to grow. There were so many amazing plays and rallies during the match that showed our grit and resilience as a team.”

The Bulldogs have shown their adaptability to adversity throughout the season, often battling back after losses to major opponents.

Team captain Maile Somera ’24 said that the team prospers when they fall back on their hard work over the course of the year.

“No matter the challenge, we will approach it together,” Somera said to the News. “We rely on the preparation and confidence we have built through the season.”

The next day, Yale faced off against Loyola Chicago, the host of the tournament. The first set saw the decisive Bulldogs come out on top, winning 25–22. The Ramblers fought back in the next set, winning 29–27 and evening the match. 

Soon after, Yale quieted their opponent with dominant wins of the next two sets, 25–21 and 25–17, respectively. Bree Borum snagged a double-double against the Blue and White, but failed to stop the swings of Barr and Isabella Mendoza ’26, who each had 10 kills in the match. Most notably, Carly Diehl ’25 narrowly missed a triple-double and Goodenow reached her first double-double, notching a season-high 17 kills. Goodenow also hit .421 in the match with 10 digs, securing her place as Ivy League Rookie of the Week.

Somera told the News about the team’s enthusiasm in beginning conference play, emphasizing the importance of challenging one another.

“We’re very excited to start conference play and test ourselves after a challenging, competitive preseason,” she said to the News. “My leadership role does not change once we start Ivy play. My goal is always to instill confidence and encourage our team to compete in the face of adversity.”

Yarich echoed Somera’s sentiment, perfectly summing up the goals of the team.

“We have prepared for the big moments as well as the small ones and I’m excited to show who we are as Yale Volleyball. And, of course, chasing after another conference title,” she said.

The Bulldogs take on the Brown University Bears (9–1, 0–0 Ivy) to start Ivy League play this Friday, Sept. 22. They will play at home at the John J. Lee Amphitheater inside Payne Whitney Gymnasium at 7 p.m.

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Coming off their inaugural tournament at West Point the previous weekend, with losses to High Point (6–3, 0–0 Big South) and Liberty University (7–2, 0–0 ASUN), the Bulldogs looked to improve their record with games against Sacred Heart (1–7, 0–0 NEC), the University of Rhode Island (1–9, 0–0 A10) and the University of Connecticut (4–5, 0–0 Big East).

Head Coach Erin Appleman told the News the team returned for their home opener after hard weeks of practice.

“They’ve been working really hard in practice for about two weeks, so I think that’s been really good — the practices have been really intense and they’re all getting better, which is what you hope for as a coach,” she said.

Yale began their homestand against Sacred Heart, the Northeastern Conference preseason favorite, with a timid win during the first set of 25–20. The Pioneers battled back against the Bulldogs to win a close second set 27–25, but Yale quickly took care of business in the next two sets, 25–17 and 26–24. Isabella Mendoza ’26 landed 12 kills, just behind the season-high 14 kills of Betsy Goodenow ’27. Halle Sherlock ’26 came up with two digs in the fourth set to lead the team to victory. 

The Bulldogs made quick work of Rhode Island, winning their first match on Saturday 3–0. The Rams found their swings halted by Gigi Barr’s ’25 six blocks. Meanwhile, the University of Rhode Island team’s defensive efforts did not faze Goodenow, who again led the team with 10 kills. This marked her third game with at least 10 kills, a fiery start for the first year.  

In both matches against Sacred Heart and Rhode Island, the Yale volleyball team posted hitting averages above .300.  

Mendoza said the key to hitting well is confidence and preparation; she also noted the importance of a short-term memory.

“The team does a great job of resetting and taking it one point at a time,” she said. “Teams going on runs are a part of the game, but we focus on controlling what we can on our side of the net.”

The weekend ended with the feature match against the University of Connecticut as Yale looked to even their all-time record at 2–2. The match began with a tense win for UConn, 25–20. Mya Ayro led the Huskies with 16 kills. However, the Bulldogs rallied back shortly, taking the second game 25–23.  In an all-Connecticut battle, emotions ran high and fans held their breath. 

Finally, with the 13 kills from Barr, the Blue and White put an end to the Huskies, taking sets three and four 25–23 and 25–19, respectively.  Diehl reached her 2,000th assist milestone to help keep Handsome Dan the supreme Connecticut dog.

The homestand was a chance to show the dominance of the Bulldogs’ roster, which does not end with just the players on the court. In all three games, Head Coach Erin Appleman substituted new players, each one contributing just as much to the game as the player before her.

The Rhode Island game saw first year Jaidynn Perkins-Martin ’27 get her first career rally.

“Stepping into the jersey for the first time was a surreal experience, especially for the first home game,” Perkins-Martin said. “Seeing the lights dim is a crazy experience and a dream come true to finally be able to put the jersey on.”

She said she has also seen herself improve through the mentorship of the other players, the coaching staff and the team’s captain, Maile Somera ’24.

Somera has been instrumental in the team’s success, posting 27 digs and nine assists this season alone.

“Maile has done a great job leading the team and she does a great job keeping everyone motivated. She’s a great leader on and off the court,” Perkins-Martin said to the News. “Playing with such amazing players from all over the country has definitely helped me get better and grow as a player. Our amazing coaching staff has also helped with all the feedback they give at practices.”

The Bulldogs look to extend their four-game win streak in Chicago next weekend, facing the Northwestern Wildcats (5–3, 0–0 B10) and the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers (2–6, 0–0 A10).

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The reigning Ivy League Champions sought to extend their dominance to the 2023 season, facing High Point (4–3, 0–0 Big South), Liberty University (6–0, 0–0 ASUN) and Army West Point (1–5, 0–0 Patriot). Head coach Erin Appleman spoke to the News about her team’s first weekend.

“We were just really excited to be able to play someone in a different color,” Appleman said. “I think that was really important for us to see where we were and what we needed to work on. I think we’re still trying to figure out the lineup, so I think the energy was really high and the team was really excited to travel to Army to play High Point, Liberty and Army.”

The opening game saw the Bulldogs take on the reigning Big South Champions, the High Point Panthers, on Friday, Sept. 1. Captain Maile Somera ’24 began her senior season with a career high of 27 digs and first-year Betsy Goodenow ’27 excelled with 11 kills and 2 blocks. Despite battling to win the first set, the Bulldogs fell to the Panthers 3–1. Dylan Maberry, a senior Panther, had a career-high 25 kills in the match.

Goodenow, the standout in the High Point game, said she was just excited to play.  

“It was amazing to wear the Yale jersey and to represent the University,” Goodenow said. “It was also good to play against tough competition and see how we measured up. Even though the High Point loss was tough, I think the team took it as an opportunity to learn and get better.”

The next day, the Bulldogs faced the undefeated Liberty Flames and their returning ASUN Setter of the Year, Delaney Dilfer. Despite winning the first set 26–24, the Elis failed to extinguish the Flames, who rallied back to take the game, 3–1. The Flames would go 3–0 in the tournament with wins against Army and High Point, claiming the 2023 Black Knights Invitational title. Notably, both Audrey Leak ’24 and Mila Yarich ’25 posted 12 kills, while Carly Diehl ’25 proved a key player in keeping the battle close with 8 kills, 2 aces and 1 block. Diehl was named to the All-Tournament Team.

The first victory of the season for the Bulldogs came in their match against the Army Black Knights on Sunday, Sept. 3. In a dominant first two sets, Yarich came out swinging with 17 kills. Leak had 10 kills and Fatima Samb ’25 had 7 blocks to aid in a successful 2–0 start. The Knights then fought back to extend the match with a 25–19 win of the third set. However, Goodenow put an end to the Knights’ comeback with one of 8 kills for the final point.  

Going into Sunday, Somera emphasized the team’s need to improve every day, regardless of outcome. 

“Win or lose,” she said, “you have to attack the next match with a fresh mindset and have confidence in your preparation.”  

During the tournament, the 2022 second-team All-Ivy player surpassed the 1000th dig mark of her career.  

Erin Appleman is celebrating 20 years as women’s volleyball’s head coach, and the 2022 Ivy League Coach of the Year returns with hopes based on improvement, not on tangible success.

“For me, I always want to be the most improved team. We’re just trying to get better every day,” Appleman said. “Obviously the team has goals of winning the Ivy League Championship again, but for me, it’s much more about our performance on the court every single night and playing at a consistently high level.”

She stressed that the team’s hard work in practice and their energy on the court has continued to match her expectations as a coach.

The Bulldogs re          turn to the court this weekend at the Yale Invitational, hosting Sacred Heart (0–4, 0–0 NEC), Rhode Island (1–5, 0–0 A10), and the University of Connecticut (2–4, 0–0 Big East).

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On their way to 23 wins, the Bulldogs won a school-record 17 games in a row, claimed an Ivy League championship and clinched the program’s eighth NCAA tournament berth. Yale traveled to State College, Pennsylvania to face off fifth-seed University of Central Florida in the first round of the tournament. The match culminated in a 3–0 Yale loss.

“This was one of my favorite teams to be a part of,” head coach Erin Appleman said. “The team was just all in all the time and really played hard all season long. They are a very gritty team and it was just a pleasure to coach them. I am super proud of them.”

Yale and UCF entered the match as leaders in national statistics. On one hand, Yale was in the top five nationally in terms of opponent hitting percentage and aces per set. On the other hand, UCF ranked top five in the nation in hitting percentage, assists per set and kills per set.

Appleman told the News that the team approached the game differently given the skillset present at the NCAA level. She noted that the tournament compiles 64 of the best teams in the nation, but she thought that Yale “handled the pressure really well and did a good job.”

“I thought our team played really tough,” said Appleman. “It was a battle and I was really proud of our efforts. I think UCF is a pretty good team and so that’s one of the reasons we weren’t victorious, but we felt that we fought hard.”

Audrey Leak ’24 started off the first set with a kill before UCF responded with a kill of their own. After the teams exchanged points, Yale fell behind 3–4 and could not win back the lead for the rest of the set. The Bulldogs trailed by as many as six points but then clawed back to a two point deficit before UCF scored the winning point. The first set score was 25–22.

UCF started the second set off with a three point run and rode its momentum to a 25–15 victory. The Knights’ offense maintained their form in the third set as they started it with a five point run and closed out the match with a 25–17 score in the last frame.

UCF star McKenna Melville, who won her second player of the year award in the American Athletic Conference, led the Knights with 14 kills and 15 digs.

“McKenna, as well as the rest of their team really, is a very talented player and it was fun to play against her,” said Cara Shultz ’25. “Our team came out and we fought and at the end of the day we gave it our all.”

Leak and Cara Shultz each landed 10 kills while Maile Somera ’24 had 13 digs. Carly Diehl ’25 earned 36 assists, and Fatima Samb ’25 and Mila Yarich ’25 both had two blocks.

Appleman explained that even though she would have liked to see the Bulldogs advance to the NCAA, she feels that the team “did everything [they] possibly could and represented Yale and the Ivy League well.”

Appleman emphasized that the team has a series of goals throughout the season. First and foremost, the Bulldogs aim to win the Ivy League Championship. After that, the Bulldogs want to enter the NCAA tournament and win.

“Looking back on everything we have accomplished this fall, I couldn’t be more proud of this team” said captain Renee Shultz ’23. “We have worked so hard day in and day out, and we’ve seen our hard work pay off with the regular season Ivy championship, the Ivy League Tournament championship, and making it to the NCAA tournament to represent Yale. It’s been a great run and such a memorable season.”

Appleman has served as head coach of the Yale volleyball team since 2003 and led the team to 11 championships.

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The Bulldogs swept Dartmouth College (16–9, 8–6 ) in the first round to advance to the finals, where they matched up against Brown University (15–10, 10–4), who had just upset Princeton University (21–4, 13–1) with a first round sweep of their own. The Blue and White beat Brown in four sets to claim not only an Ivy League championship but also a ticket to the NCAA tournament. The win capped off one of the most decorated seasons in Yale volleyball history.

“Words can’t describe how proud I am of this team,” wrote captain Renee Shultz ’23. “Since the very beginning of the season, all the way back in the summer, we established team goals and ever since then we’ve been working hard to achieve them. Now that we’ve earned our Ivy League championship and are heading to the NCAAs to represent Yale, I’m so excited to see what else we’re capable of.”

In the opening round of the Ivy Tournament, the Big Green proved to be no match for the Bulldogs, failing to reach even 20 points in any of the three sets. Mila Yarich ’25 — who ranked in the top eight in the Ivy League in aces, digs, kills and points scored all season — led the Bulldogs with three aces and 14 digs. Yarich’s nine kills ranked second on the team for the game.

While many expected a Yale-Princeton matchup in the finals, as the two teams split their regular-season matchups and went undefeated against the rest of the league, the Bulldogs instead met the Bears in the final. On Friday, Brown stunned the Tigers in three highly competitive sets and knocked Princeton out of the tournament.

On Saturday, Brown opened the finals on a 5–0 run, carrying over their moment from their upset victory. However, the Bulldogs roared back to win the set by a 25–21 margin. They won the second set by the same score, but the Bears refused to back down, winning a hard-fought third set 27–25. The Blue and White closed things out in the fourth, however, as they took an early 7–1 lead and never looked back. 

Gigi Barr ’25 — with 17 kills and six blocks — and Carly Diehl ’25 — with 43 assists, 16 digs and two aces — led the way for the Bulldogs in the final, allowing them to host the championship banner on Yale’s home floor.

In addition to conference bragging rights, the win also clinched a berth in the NCAA volleyball tournament. After losing only two games all year, and only once since Sep. 3, Yale looks to be one of the best Ivy League teams in recent history. No Ivy League school has won an NCAA tournament game since Penn defeated Army in the first round in 2009. No Ivy team has even won a set since Harvard University lost 3–1 in 2016.

Yale will play the University of Central Florida (27–1, 19–1 AAC) in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

“Making the tourney is kind of like a dream come true,” Cara Shultz ’25 said. “I mean it’s what we’ve spent all season preparing for, and in terms of morale and what this means for the program, it’s huge. Our team is so excited to compete on the largest stage, and it’ll be a blast. I’m so proud of what this team has done so far and I’m excited to continue playing with this team.”

The fifth-seeded Knights are favored to win the game as they enter the matchup on a 15-game winning streak and rank in the top five in the nation in assists per set, hitting percentage and kills per set. 

However, the Bulldogs seem to be the perfect foil for UCF, as they allow the fifth lowest opponent’s hitting percentage in the country. They will also try to pick up some easier points on their serve, as Yale ranks third in the nation in aces per set.

“We’re a good defensive team which makes it hard for people to score against us,” said head coach Erin Appleman. “Maile Somera, our libero, is really good, both of our outsides, Mila Yarich and Cara Shultz, are really talented in the back row.”

Knights head coach Todd Dagenais expressed confidence in his team’s ability heading into the tournament, as he believes that his team has the ability to make a deep run in their fifth consecutive tournament appearance.

Ahead of the match, Dagenais explained that he was pleased to see Yale as UCF’s first-round opponent. 

“We love this draw,” Dagenais told Nicholson Student Media. “I think it’s a great draw, especially in terms of travel, keeping in our own time zone and, you know, teams that we feel like we’re really competitive with. So I don’t think we could have asked for a better draw as a five-seed.”

If the Bulldogs manage to pull off the upset against the red hot Knights, they would face the winner of UMBC (17–8, 7–3 America East) and Penn State (24–7, 13–7 Big 10).

Yale and UCF will face off at 5:00 p.m. on Friday evening in State College, Penn.

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The Bulldogs won the Ivy League regular season championship for the third time in four seasons last weekend. Yale and Princeton both topped the conference with 13–1 league records, but the Blue and White clinched the No. 1 seed at this weekend’s Ivy League tournament with an overall season record of 21–2. 

Five Bulldogs were recognized by the Ivy League while head coach Erin Appleman earned her second Ivy League Coach of the Year award. 

“From the start, I think everyone understood it’s not a sprint,” said Mila Yarich ’25. “It’s a marathon.” 

With a historical 17-game winning streak, the Ivy championship is well-deserved. 

However, the journey to the championship was well-fought, with its fair share of ups and downs.

“We came into the season with a goal. We never tried to get in over our heads, we stayed confident, and working hard and it paid off in the regular season,” said Cara Shultz ’25. 

Two Bulldogs — Carly Diehl ’25 and Audrey Leak ’24 — were named first team All-Ivy First Team. 

Diehl, a setter, finished her second season as second in the league for assists. As a rookie, Diehl earned All-Ivy honorable mention. 

Leak, an outside hitter, averaged 3.12 kills per set and earned the second most points for the team with 288 throughout the season. In September, Leak was named Ivy League Player of the Week. 

Teammates Maile Somera ’24 and Yarich earned All-Ivy Second Team. 

Somera, a libero, has 373 digs this season with an average of 4.14 digs per set. She finished third in the league for digs per set as well as service aces per set. 

Yarich, an outside hitter, finished the season with a total of 290 kills and averaged 3.12 kills per set. Yarich is also Yale’s Academic All-Ivy selection. 

The Ivy League named middle hitter Gigi Barr as an honorable mention. Barr, a middle hitter, averaged 2.56 kills per set with 242 kills this season. 

On Nov. 12, the Bulldogs beat Ancient Eight rivals Harvard 3–0 to clinch a share of the Ivy League title. This win capped off a record-breaking season for the Blue and White — who dropped only one game in conference play. While Yale and Princeton share the championship, the Ivy League tournament will be held in New Haven due to league regulations on tiebreaks. 

“It feels amazing continuing this Yale volleyball winning legacy,” wrote captain Renee Shultz ’23. “I am so proud to be part of such a hardworking and successful program, and to now have earned 3 Ivy rings in the last 4 seasons. I also feel really happy for the younger girls who are experiencing their first Ivy championship — their first but hopefully not their last.” 

The top four teams in the Ivy League will filter into Yale’s John J. Amphitheater to face off for the Ivy League Volleyball Tournament. Yale and Princeton have the top two seeds, followed by third place Brown and fourth place Dartmouth. 

Yale will go up against Dartmouth this Friday and the Bulldogs are more ready than ever heading into the game. 

“We’re going to host [the tournament] and we’re really excited. I’m really happy and pleased with the team being Ivy Champions,” said head coach Erin Appleman. 

The 2022 Ivy League Volleyball Tournament begins this Friday, Nov. 18 with Yale starting off against Dartmouth and Princeton going up against Brown. Tickets can be found here. 

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This weekend, the Bulldogs beat Dartmouth College (16–8, 8–6 Ivy) and Harvard University (5–17, 4–10 Ivy) to finish the regular season at the top of Ivy standings. With the victory, the team secured the right to host next weekend’s Ivy League playoffs as the No. 1 seed.

“I’m honestly just so proud of the team and how we have worked all season,” Audrey Leak ’24 told the News. “I think our championship is just a reflection of all the work that we put in practice every day … Both Harvard and Dartmouth are super solid teams and I’m just happy that we were able to trust in each other and fight to the win.”

On Nov. 11, the Bulldogs beat the Big Green in three tight sets. During the first set, both teams battled with back-and-forth wins and kept the score close. However, the Blue and White ended the set with two attack errors from Dartmouth to take the period by a score of 27-25.

Dartmouth opened the second set with a competitive spirit and fought to stay close in score. With a narrow 9–7 lead, Gigi Barr ’25 landed a kill that shifted momentum in favor of the Bulldogs. 

The Elis went on to nab an eight-point streak with 4 kills and a service ace before comfortably winning the set with a 25–19 victory. 

The third set followed a similar script to the second as the Big Green remained competitive before the Bulldogs swung into another winning streak of eight points. The Blue and White racked up six kills from Fatima Samb ’25, Leak and Lauren Kellen ’26 and a service ace by Mila Yarich ’25. This time, the Blue and White took the set by a score of 25–18 to claim a 3–0 victory.

On the following night, the Bulldogs kept to their dominant ways and swept Harvard during their senior night to clinch the conference title.

Leak started the first set with two kills in a row. Yale shot out to a 13–5 lead before Harvard made it 17–10. The Bulldogs went on a run which ended with a kill by Amelia Brown ’24 and a first set victory of 25–11.

“I just thought we did a really great job of defending our own court and coming out aggressive from the start.” said Maile Somera ’24. “We’re a young team so there was the potential to … play with nerves and be tentative knowing what was on the line, but I thought we came out and went for it 100 percent the whole time.”

In the second set, the Bulldogs rode their momentum to a 25–12 victory. Cara Shultz ’25 had six kills and Carly Diehl ’25 had 11 assists in the set.

In the third set, both teams won back and forth points until late in the set, when the Bulldogs pulled away to win 25–19. Their third set win capped off a regular season in which the team had an overall winning percentage of .913, the best out of any Yale volleyball team on record.

“We’ve been working hard each week and it’s certainly been paying off, but we’re not done yet.” said captain Renee Shultz ’23. “I’m thrilled we can host the Ivy tournament next weekend. Until then we’re going to celebrate this regular season championship and keep working hard for the playoffs.”

The playoff bracket is set. Yale has the number one seed, Princeton (21–3, 13–1) has the second, Brown (14–9, 10–4) has the third and Dartmouth the fourth.

The Bulldogs will play Dartmouth on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. for the first round of the tournament. That game and all other Ivy playoff games will be at John J. Lee Amphitheater in Payne Whitney Gymnasium.

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On Friday, before Yale plays Ivy League third place Dartmouth (16–6, 8–4 Ivy), the team will commemorate Carly Diehl ’25 for surpassing 1500 career assists this season. On Saturday, before the game against Harvard (5–15, 4–8 Ivy), the Bulldogs will honor their graduating players with a senior night celebration. This weekend wraps up their regular season. If Yale wins both games, they will secure the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Ivy League playoffs.

“We would love [the Yale community’s] support as we try to win a championship.” said head coach Erin Appleman. “It should be a good weekend, so I’m hoping that we have a good crowd and to honor this remarkable senior class.”

There are five seniors on the team this year: Tiffany Pedersen-Henry ’23, Amelia Browne ’24, Sam Bray ’23, Zoie Stewart ’23, and team captain Renee Shultz ’23. During their time at Yale, the Bulldogs have won two Ivy League championships and 69 total games.

Saturday’s senior night will recognize the group’s contributions to the team over the past four years.

“It’s about honoring all the hard work and effort they put in for four years of being a student athlete,” said head coach Erin Appleman. “They’re super dedicated to this program. In particular Renee Shultz has done a fabulous job of being captain, getting this team on the same page, and so much… wonderful leadership.”

Outside hitter Cara Shultz ’25 had high praise for the seniors who helped build the team culture which the players credit for their success.

“The five seniors on our team have been incredible leaders and even better friends,” said Shultz. “They should be super proud of everything they‘ve accomplished over the last four years.”

In addition to the senior night celebration on Saturday, Appleman noted there will be a celebration before the game on Friday to commemorate Carly Diehl for surpassing the 1500 career assist mark. Last season, Diehl finished fourth in the Ivy League in assists and was named the league’s “Rookie of the Week” in October. This year she has the second most assists in the conference with 782.

This weekend in volleyball is important not just for its celebrations. If the Bulldogs win both matchups, they will secure a first place seed in the Ivy League tournament

“This is what it comes down to,” said Appleman. “You worked hard all year and this is your final weekend and you have it at home and you gotta be able to win at home if you wanna win a championship”

Dartmouth will bring their 8–4 record to New Haven on Friday night. The Big Green have won six of their last seven games to rank third in the Ivy League entering the weekend. In Yale’s last meeting with Dartmouth on Oct. 8, the Elis won 3–1.

Saturday will mark the weekend’s marquee matchup as Harvard comes to town to play. Harvard is fifth in the Ivy League standings. The Crimson lost in four sets to the Blue and White in their most recent match. After that October game in Cambridge, the Bulldogs looked forward to playing against the Crimson in New Haven.

“Matching up against Harvard is always pretty exciting because of the rivalry.” Renee Shultz wrote to the News after the October game against Harvard. “I’m excited to play them again later this season in our home gym.”

Friday’s game against Dartmouth begins at 7:00 p.m. Saturday’s game against Harvard begins at 5:00 p.m. Both will take place in the John J. Lee Amphitheater in Payne Whitney Gymnasium.

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