The women’s volleyball team fell to the Yale Bulldogs in three decisive sets Saturday. The Bears were outmatched by a strong and successful Bulldog offense. Statistically, Yale’s solid .239 kill percentage outnumbered Bruno’s .027. The Bulldogs also led in blocks, digs and aces, making them unstoppable.
The Bears’ best chance at clinching a set was in the first, when they were only trailing by two points (22-24) before Yale secured the set. Yale blistered past the Bears in the second set to win it 25-13. Head Coach Diane Short attributed the loss to the Bears having “a lot of trouble passing the ball, which had an effect on everything else they did.”
In the third set, the Bears rushed out to a 5-2 lead, which they held until leading 9-8, but ultimately fell short by losing the set, 25-19.
“After the break we came out strong in the third set but we just couldn’t finish it,” Short said. She added that a few questionable calls were made that might have caused a momentum shift in the match.
Short came away with some positives for the weekend. She said she was happy that the team “fought hard” and “came out with good energy.”
She complemented Thea Derrough ’14 and Payton Smith ’17 for playing well and said “Taylor (Bantle ’15) had one of her best matches of the year.”
Derrough, Smith and Bantle each completed stellar performances, racking up the three highest kill percentages on the team.
Short said she is “optimistic about next weekend,” and the team is “working to improve everyday.”
The Bears now face the University of Rhode Island in a nonconference match Wednesday.
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