Coming into the matchup with two consecutive 3-0 sweeps against Princeton and Penn, the Bulldogs (18-5, 11-3 Ivy) were on a tear for the Ivy League title. This momentum, and aspirations for the title, was put to rest by the Crimson.
“I think all of us agree that our game Friday against Yale was the most fun all season,” Istvan said. “Our team has been forced to face challenge after even more difficult challenge this season. But every time we got knocked down we got back up working and fighting even harder.”
The first set was taken by Harvard in an easy 25-13 victory. The two started off evenly matched and tied at 7-7. A key kill by junior outside hitter Paige Kebe catalyzed a run for the Crimson in which they scored eight of the next nine points. Yale failed to make up the difference. Harvard led the Bulldogs with 14 kills in the set and only two errors while the Yale dealt with seven.
Harvard faltered the next set at 15-15, allowing a 5-0 Yale run. The Crimson brought the score to within reason after three point run left Yale with a one-point lead at 23-22. Two attack errors later, Yale took the set 22-25.
The third set also fell to the Bulldogs 23-25 as Harvard allowed an early 10-2 lead. Again the Crimson would work to pull the score to within one, this time at 23-24, but would ultimately drop the set.
In a set featuring 18 kills and four errors on the part of the Harvard, as opposed to Yale’s 14 and six, respectively, the Crimson tallied a 26-24 win.
The team capped a come-from-behind victory with a comeback in the final set. Trailing 10-7, Harvard went on a 6-1 run, effectively building a two-point lead. This would prove too much for the Bulldogs to overcome as Harvard took the set and match with the 15-13 win.
On the night, freshman outside hitter Grace Roberts Burbank led the team and recorded her career high 26 kills, accompanied by seven digs. In blocks, freshman middle blocker Maclaine Fields and sophomore middle blocker Christina Cornelius tallied six blocks a piece while sophomore outside hitter Anna Uhr posted 22 digs.
“I think we prepared well during the week, coming into this weekend,” Weiss said. “We knew what had to do against each team it was just a matter of keeping to the game plan and executing what we wanted to do defensively.”