LAWRENCE, Kan. – Midway through its first-round match, the Yale volleyball team was very likely the talk of the NCAA Tournament. The underdog Bulldogs had split the first two sets with perennial NCAA power Penn State and had a 7-0 lead in set No. 3. The Nittany Lions, though, are experienced and tournament tested. They came from behind to take the third 25-22 and closed out the Bulldogs 25-16 in the fourth to win 3-1 in an extremely well-played match at Kansas' Horejsi Family Arena.
 
Yale, the Ivy League regular season and tournament champions, finishes the year with a 21-4 overall record. The loss ended the Bulldogs' 17-match winning streak.
 
Penn State, which has played in all 43 NCAA Tournaments, advances to the second round.
 
"I'm super proud of my team," said head coach Erin Appleman, who has now guided the Bulldogs to nine NCAA Tournament appearances. "We showed up to battle a really good Penn State team."
 
STATISTICAL LEADERS
 
Carly Diehl, the Ivy League Player of the Year, had 42 assists and a service ace for the Bulldogs. Audrey Leak contributed 15 kills, and Gigi Barr added 10 kills. Mila Yarich had nine digs, eight kills and two service aces, and Maile Somera, the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, had a team-high 11 digs.
 
Jess Mruzik led the Nittany Lions with 19 kills.
 
SET 1 RECAP
 
A Somera ace had Yale within 7-6 early in the opening set, but Penn State used a 6-2 run to seize control on its way to a 25-17 victory.
 
SET 2 RECAP
 
Yale had a 12-6 lead after a Barr kill and never relinquished the advantage. The Nittany Lions pulled to within one on a couple of occasions, but Leak closed out a 25-23 victory with a kill, setting off a celebration on the Yale sideline.
 
"We came out fired up in the second set," Somera said. "We wanted to make some noise in the tournament. We were able to hold our own at the ball control end and let our offense take over."
 
SET 3 RECAP
 
The momentum continued to be on Yale's side early in the third as Yarich served seven straight points to give the Bulldogs the lead. Penn State slowly chipped away, but Yale still had a 19-17 lead after a Betsy Goodenow kill. The score was tied at 22 before the Nittany Lions won the final three points.
 
SET 4 RECAP
 
The Bulldogs scored the first two points, including a kill by Laurece Abraham, but Penn State quickly took control and had a 10-5 lead. Yale got back within three, but the Nittany Lions held on seal the win.
 
NOTES
 
• Playing at Kansas was a homecoming for Goodenow, who is from Lenaxa, Kansas, just 30 miles from Lawrence. She received a warm ovation from the Kansas fans when the pre-game lineups were announced.
 
"It was a great experience. I was really excited to come home," Goodenow said.
 
• Penn State is now 25-0 in NCAA Tournament first round matches since the event expanded to 64 teams in 1998.
 
• This was only the third time that Penn State has lost a set in a first round NCAA Tournament match. The Nittany Lions entered the match 72-2 in sets played.
 
• The Bulldogs and Nittany Lions were meeting for the second time in the NCAA Tournament. Penn State knocked off Yale 3-0 in 2008.
 
• The match was the final one at Yale for Somera, Leak and Bonnie Bostic, the Bulldogs' three graduating seniors. All have made outstanding contributions to the program both on and off the court.
 
"This senior class is one that is going to be very hard to replace," Appleman said. "I'm going to miss them dearly."