This past weekend, the women’s volleyball team (9-13, 6-6 Ivy) added a pair of pivotals wins in Providence over Harvard (10-11, 5-7 Ivy) and Dartmouth (10-12, 3-9 Ivy) to their recent surge.
Following the successful weekend, the Bears now hold sole possession of the final playoff spot in the Ivy League Tournament with only two games left in the regular season.
“This weekend, we really felt like everything was clicking for us,” Sophia Wolfson ’28 wrote in a message to The Herald. “Our momentum was high, and we believed in ourselves and in each other. We didn’t stop pushing, regardless of the score or any setbacks.”
Much like the Bears’ season itself, beginning with a rocky 1-4 conference start, each match featured a Bruno comeback after finding themselves in an early hole.
“I think what’s really helped us turn things around after a slower start to the season is our focus on communication and resilience,” Wolfson explained. “We’ve developed stronger connections on and off the court, which has improved our chemistry during games.”
En route to recording a formidable .400 hitting percentage in the first set, Harvard took a commanding 10-3 lead which proved too much for Brown to overcome. But after Harvard hopped out to a 5-4 advantage in the second set, the Bears came alive, going on a 46-27 run to take the next two sets.
When the Crimson scored four straight to open the fourth set, Brown’s grit was on display once again, clawing back to earn a hard-fought 25-23 victory.
The comeback win was even sweeter for Brown, given it tied the Bears’ conference record with Harvard. The two teams will compete down the line for a spot in the Ivy Tournament.
“These last regular season games will determine who deserves it more, which definitely adds some extra pressure,” Mariia Sidorova ’26 wrote. “The game was important for both of us, and Harvard came out with a lot of energy, but we were able to handle it.”
It was Sidorova who, following a phenomenal performance the weekend prior, led the way against Dartmouth with a 25-kill match. Sidorova has now recorded 65 kills across her last three matches, ranking third in the Ivy League this fall with her 3.60 kill-per-set average.
Sidorova credited her success to a team-wide effort. “We stayed steady in defense and serve receive throughout all sets this weekend, which allowed us to put our hitters in good situations and get the kills we needed,” she wrote. “I think the back row was a huge piece of our game, and because of that, our offense was able to find a lot of success as well.”
As against Harvard the night prior, the Bears dropped the first set to Dartmouth by a final of 25-18 before bouncing back to win the next two. But another Dartmouth victory forced a decisive fifth set. After falling behind 7-5, Bruno finished with a flourishing 10-2 run fueled by a stretch of three straight kills from Beau Vanderlaan ’25.
Vanderlaan and Hannah Flannery ’26 each finished with double-digit kills in both of the weekend’s matches, while rookie Wolfson recorded a career-high 12 kills along with nine blocks against Dartmouth.
“Over the course of my first-year season, I feel like I’ve grown in many ways — especially in terms of confidence and understanding my role on the team,” Wolfson said. “I’ve learned to adapt to different game situations, trust my instincts and stay focused under pressure.”
The Bears’ final home game of the fall marked Senior Day for the graduating class of 2025. Gabby Derrick ’25, Kayla Griebl ’25, Victoria Vo ’25 and Vanderlaan were among the seniors.
The group helped the program win an Ivy Championship in 2021 and advance to the championship match in 2022 and 2023.
The seniors showed “dedication, support and leadership set the tone for everyone else,” Wolfson wrote. “On and off the court, they’ve been incredible role models, always encouraging us to bring our best every day. Watching them lead and play has been inspiring, and their presence will definitely be missed.”
But the team’s work is far from finished. With a narrow one-game lead in the race for a spot in the Ivy Tournament, the Bears must maintain their momentum over the next two games for a chance to fight for another conference crown.
“I’m feeling optimistic about our chances,” Wolfson wrote. “We’ve built up strong momentum, and if we continue to play with the same intensity and focus, I believe we have a solid shot at making it.”
Brown will face a test against third-place Cornell (13-8, 7-5 Ivy) on Friday. On Saturday, they will round out the season with a match against languishing Columbia (4-17, 1-11 Ivy).
The critical matches in Ithaca and New York City will be available to stream on ESPN+.
Linus is a Sports editor from New York City. He is a junior concentrating in English, and when he's out of The Herald office you can find him rooting for the Mets, watching Star Wars or listening to The Beach Boys.
