Harvard Volleyball Secures Five-Set Victory Over Yale as Jennifer Weiss Claims 400th Career Win
Harvard women’s volleyball mounted a gritty five-set comeback against Yale on Saturday night at the Malkin Athletic Center, clawing back from a 2-1 set deficit to claim a 25-18, 11-25, 11-25, 25-23, 15-7 victory. The triumph handed head coach Jennifer Weiss her 400th career victory, making her just the second coach in Harvard history to reach that milestone.
All of Weiss’s career wins have come at Harvard. The victory also marks the first time since 2014 that Harvard has swept the season series against Yale, and the Bulldogs’ only two conference losses this season have come at the hands of the Crimson.
A Match of Momentum Shifts
Saturday’s contest at the Malkin Athletic Center featured sharp swings in control. Harvard opened the match by grabbing a 6-2 lead, holding off a Yale push to take the first set 25-18. The Bulldogs responded decisively in the second and third frames, commanding the court with back-to-back 25-11 wins to put the Crimson on the brink.
Harvard flipped the script in the fourth set, jumping out early and holding off a late Yale surge that saw the squads tied at 23. The Crimson punched through to win 25-23, carrying that momentum into the deciding fifth set. Closing out the match on kills from Sofia Rossi and Ali Farquhar, Harvard secured the 15-7 final set to seal the win.
Harvard and Yale Post Comparable Match Statistics
Harvard finished the night hitting .211 with 53 kills on 152 attacks, alongside 75 digs, 51 assists, 10.0 blocks, and two aces. Yale posted a .229 hitting clip with 56 swings on 157 attacks, 69 digs, 49 assists, 11.0 blocks, and 10 aces.
Sophomore outside hitters Bridget Egan and Sofia Rossi paced the Crimson offense with 10 kills each. Egan added an ace, a block, and 13 digs to record her third consecutive double-double, while Rossi notched a match-high .421 hitting percentage with just two errors on 19 swings. Junior middle blocker Riley Resmer contributed seven kills and six blocks, and freshman opposite hitter Masina Ogbechie added five kills and five blocks.
Defensively, senior libero Yvette Easton led the back row with 19 digs for the second straight night. Freshman setter Catlin Shao recorded a double-double with 20 assists and 11 digs, and freshman outside hitter Kayla Nwabueze chipped in 12 digs.
Looking Ahead to the Final Road Stretch
The Crimson now turn their attention to the penultimate regular season weekend. Harvard travels to face the University of Pennsylvania on Friday, Nov. 6, at 6 p.m., before heading to Princeton on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m.
