Volleyball (6-12, 3-5 Ivy) fought hard but ultimately fell to Yale (13-3, 8-0 Ivy) during a four-set match in New Haven on Saturday.
“There is a lot to be proud of from our performance,” Head Coach Taylor Virtue wrote in an email to The Herald. “We defended really well and created a lot of great offensive opportunities for ourselves. We will continue to build on that going into this coming weekend of matches.”
Entering Saturday’s game, Bruno was determined to prove its resilience and growth this season against Yale, which remains unbeaten in conference play. Brown’s team had a tenacious showing in the first set, pushing Yale to the brink and holding two set points before the Bulldogs edged out a 29-27 win.
The Bears’ offense struggled in the second set, hitting just .077. Yale scored nine of the final 15 points to take the set 25-20.
Brown’s momentum surged in the third set, ignited by a late five-point run that included two aces from Jessie Golden ’26, allowing the Bears to seize control and secure a 18-25 set victory.
While serves were strong all match, Virtue highlighted Bruno’s aggression behind the line in set three. “That created a lot of predictability on Yale’s side of the net and gave our defense a chance to really roll which in turn made our offense more terminal,” she said.
Despite Brown's efforts to carry their third-set momentum into the fourth, Yale responded with strong offensive plays and tight defense, closing out the match with their own decisive 25-18 victory.
Hannah Flannery ’26 was unstoppable at the net, scoring 16 kills as she consistently found gaps in Yale’s defense. Mariia Sidorova ’26 tallied 12 kills of her own for the Bears while setter Julia Kakkis ’28 achieved a career-high of 38 assists, marking her third consecutive match with at least 30.
Flannery attributed her strong performance to teammates Kakkis and Golden.
“Their ability to put up strong passing numbers and digs combined with Julia’s ability to set me the ball from anywhere on the court allowed me to remain offensive throughout the entire game,” she wrote in a message to The Herald.
Kakkis returned the compliments, crediting her teammates for their strong passing and defense, which allowed her to orchestrate the offense smoothly.
“I had a lot of opportunities to set the ball to give the hitters success at the net, especially because of our in-system passing and defense,” she wrote in a message to The Herald. “All the opportunities really gave me the chance to connect with my hitters, especially Hannah Flannery.”
Flannery highlighted the coaches’ role in the Bears’ progress at the net, noting their detailed game strategies. “Our coaching staff gave me a clear scout of how I could score and open the court for myself,” she wrote. “The rest of the offense and I implemented that as early as possible.”
“I think that spreading the offense gave all the hitters more opportunity to have one-on-one blocks,” Kakkis added.
Compared to their previous straight-set loss against Yale in their Ivy League opener on Sept. 28, the Bears’ performance marked a notable improvement in both offensive execution and defensive cohesion.
“Even though we didn’t get the result we wanted, the improvement was outstanding and I think if we prepare this week at practice and push ourselves to be the best then we will have success,” Kakkis wrote.
Despite the loss to Yale, Brown has won three of their last five games as they battle through Ivy Play, showcasing momentum they hope to maintain as they enter the latter half of their season.
“We will remain a cohesive unit who continues to raise the bar as we compete, each moment striving to get a little better,” Flannery wrote.
Looking ahead, the Bears are set to play twice this upcoming weekend, hosting Penn on Friday evening and Princeton on Sunday afternoon. The match against Princeton will be available to watch on ESPNU.
Gus Bailey is a Sports reporter who also writes Arts & Culture reviews. He loves sports, music, and watching TV shows. When he's not at The Herald, you can find him playing pickup basketball, working on his podcast, or (most of the time) hanging with his friends.
