Polan and Reetz Named to All-Tourney Team
The Yale women's volleyball team ended its weekend at the
Blackbird Invitational on a positive note with a 3-0 victory over
host Long Island University on Saturday evening in Brooklyn,
N.Y. The Bulldogs, now 5-1 on the season, bounced back from a
3-1 loss to Georgetown earlier in the day. Freshmen Kendall
Polan and Erica
Reetz were named to the all-tournament team.
"We're a young team, we're going to have some ups and downs,"
Yale head coach Erin Appleman said. "But I was pleased we
were able to bounce back after losing to Georgetown."
In the nightcap, the Bulldogs dominated the first two sets and
held off the Blackbirds (1-8) in the third to take the match by the
scores of 25-15, 25-12 and 25-22. Haley
Wessels posted a team-best 12 kills and led a balanced
offensive attack for Yale, which also received solid efforts from
Reetz (10 kills), Bridget
Hearst (8 kills), Katie
Cordell (8 kills) and Taylor
Cramm (7 kills). Kelly
Ozurovich (22 digs) and Cordell (16 digs) led the way on
defense for the Bulldogs.
In the third set, Wessels struck back-to-back kills to give Yale
a 10-4 lead and force Long Island to call a timeout. The
Blackbirds came back to cut the deficit to 14-13 after an Artisha
Jackson kill. Yale rallied for the next four points –
including three straight kills from Cramm, Hearst and Cordell
– pull away.
Georgetown (5-5) won the final three sets against Yale after
dropping the opening frame – 20-25, 25-22, 25-17,
25-16. Wessels (12 kills) and Hearst (10 kills) led the way
for the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs scored the last seven points in a first set
victory, and dropped a tight second set. With the score tied
at 21, the Hoyas tallied four of the next five points, capped by
kills from Kortney Robinson and Annalee Abell.
In the third set, a Reetz kill gave the Bulldogs an 11-10
edge. Georgetown would score eight of the next nine points en
route to a third set victory.
In the final set, consecutive kills from Polan and Hearst gave
the Bulldogs an early 3-2 lead. The Hoyas stormed back with a
12-6 run and went on to capture the set.
The Bulldogs head west next weekend for the Fullerton Classic in
California. Yale will play Liberty, West Virginia and
host Cal-State Fullerton beginning on Friday.
"Our trip to California will give us some great competition next
week and give us some more challenges before we go into the Ivy
League season," said Appleman.
Report filed by Ernie Bertothy
