CHARLESTON, S.C. – It was Appleman versus Appleman on opening day 2024 for the Bulldogs. Yale head coach
Erin Appleman faced her daughter and College of Charleston senior Emma Appleman in the second of two matches of the day for Yale.
Despite career-highs in kills from
Isabella Mendoza (14) and
Laurece Abraham (9), the Cougars held on for a 3-2 victory. Earlier in the day, Yale dropped another five-setter to the University of Pacific.
Pacific match summary:
- After dropping the first set, the Bulldogs won the next two.
- Yale hit .378 in set three with 15 kills and only one error on 37 swings.
- Betsy Goodenow, an All-Ivy Second Team selection last season, picked up where she left off with a team-high 17 kills, while also hitting .351 with 13 digs.
- Arya Jue had a team-best 15 digs, while Carly Diehl and Cara Shultz both had 13.
- Yale jumped out to a 7-4 lead in the fifth before Pacific rallied.
College of Charleston match summary:
- Yale hit an impressive .406 in the fourth to force a deciding fifth set.
- Mendoza had 14 kills on a team-high 56 attacks.
- Diehl, the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year, stuffed the stat sheet with 47 assists, 16 digs, seven kills and a career-high six service aces.
- Shultz had a team-best and career-high 19 digs to go along with three aces.
Additional notes from today:
- Shultz now has 110 service aces in her career – one shy of tying Katie Roy for 8th all-time in program history.
- The Bulldogs had 18 service aces over the two matches today – and allowed 12.
- Gigi Barr led the team with four total blocks in the two matches.
Up next:
- The Bulldogs close out the College of Charleston Invitational tomorrow against South Carolina-Upsate at 5 p.m.
