Women’s crew
The prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta this weekend gave the women’s crew team an opportunity to show its might. The team’s top boat cut through the cold Boston air to place second overall in the Championship Eight event.
The University of California’s top boat was the only collegiate challenger to edge the Bruno women, taking first by a healthy 25-second margin of victory. The Bears’ Championship Eight squad went down to the wire but held on to best the third-place boat from Virginia by less than a second.
Led by a core of five seniors with contributions from two juniors and two sophomores, the top group earned its impressive finish amidst a 19-boat field. And the Championship Eight was not Bruno’s only exciting performance at the regatta. Bruno’s Championship Four boat was the top collegiate finisher, taking third overall. The crew — consisting of a senior, junior and two sophomores — glided across the water in a time of 18:05.
Men’s crew
The members of the men’s crew team did not quite put up the finishes of their female counterparts but displayed some potential at the Head of the Charles. Bruno’s Championship Eight finished seventh of a 26-boat field in the headlining event. The finish was fourth among Ivy League challengers, with Yale securing first overall. The future certainly looks bright, as just two of the boat’s nine athletes — including the coxswain — are seniors.
The men’s Club Eight kicked off the tournament in exciting fashion Saturday with a top finish in the Club event. The Freshman Eight followed suit with a third-place ranking among rookie boats. The placing was the highest ever for a freshman boat from Brown, displaying a talented underbelly forming for the squad.
Volleyball
The volleyball team snapped a four-match losing streak in resounding fashion. The Bears (9-10, 3-4 Ivy) swept Penn 3-0 in front of a Family Weekend crowd Saturday at the Pizzitola Center. The Quakers (9-10, 3-4 Ivy) managed only 18 points in each of the first two sets before putting up a slightly better challenge in a 25-23 clinching third set.
The win came on the heels of a narrow 3-2 loss to Princeton Friday night. The Bears battled back from a 2-0 hole to take the third and fourth sets 25-19 and 25-22, respectively. But the Tigers (8-8, 3-4) jumped ahead and did not look back in the final set to capture a 15-7 victory. Head Coach Diane Short said the Princeton loss was crushing given the way her team had fought back, but she was impressed with the way the team overcame it to beat Penn.
