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Brown University
5-19, 3-11
Harvard
8-14, 7-7
Volleyball Drops Five-Set Decision at Harvard in Season Finale, 3-2
11/12/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Junior Shirin Tooloee and sophomore Elisa Merten each recorded double-doubles, but Brown University volleyball dropped a five-set decision at Harvard University, 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 23-25, 15-10), at the Malkin Athletic Center on Saturday evening.
In their season finale, the Bears (5-19, 3-11 Ivy) rallied to tie the match in sets at 1-1 and 2-2 before the host Crimson (9-14, 7-7 Ivy) pulled out the victory with a win in the final frame.
Tooloee (San Jose, Calif.) totaled a match-high 18 kills with 12 digs for her second double-double of the year while Merten (Woodside, Calif.) finished with 30 assists, 15 digs, and eight kills for her third double-double of the season.
Senior Payton Smith (Atherton, Calif.) tallied 12 kills and four blocks, and sophomore Sabrina Stillwell (Laguna Beach, Calif.) landed 12 kills. Freshman Jacqueline Jacobs (Atlanta, Ga.) posted seven blocks and nine kills, and classmate Caroline Biggar (Austin, Texas) had seven blocks and four kills.
Junior libero Melissa Cairo (Hillsborough, Calif.) contributed a match-high 29 digs – her 10th match this season with 20 or more digs. Senior Sarah Lucenti (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) notched a match-best 34 assists, and freshman Makena Ehlert (Orange County, Calif.) posted 13 digs.
Neither side held a lead larger than three points in set one until Harvard pulled ahead 15-11 on a 5-1 run. The Bears stayed in the set, pulling within 22-21 late in the frame, before the Crimson took the opening period, 25-21. Tooloee landed four kills in the frame, Merten posted five assists, two kills, and two digs, and Cairo and Ehlert each tallied five digs.
Brown leapt out to a 9-3 edge in the second set and held off every Crimson rally over the duration of the set. After Harvard cut its deficit to 19-17 late in the frame, the visitors closed the stanza with a 6-1 run for a 25-18 set win. Toolooee landed another four kills in the set, Cairo came up with six digs, and Merten added five assists, four digs, and two kills.
In a tight third set, neither side held a lead larger than three points until Harvard used a 6-1 spurt to grab a 22-18 edge and held on for a 25-21 set win, pulling ahead 2-1 in sets. Toolooe terminated on five kills in the frame with Cairo making seven digs and Merten logging seven assists and six digs.
The Bears started set four with a 10-6 lead before the frame saw four ties. The visitors remained ahead 19-17 before the Crimson tied it 20-20. Brown scored four straight points and withstood a late Harvard rally to gain the set, 25-23, and tie the match in sets 2-2. In the period, Smith posted five kills, Merten dished out nine assists, and Cairo notched eight digs.
In the decisive set, Harvard led 8-6 at the switch prior to moving ahead 12-8. Brown trimmed its margin to 12-10 before the Crimson claimed the set, 15-10.
For Harvard, Corinne Bain recorded a triple-double on 14 kills, 23 assists, and 14 digs. Grace Roberts Burbank compiled 18 kills.
The match concluded the careers of Brown seniors Lucenti, Emma Thygesen (Menlo Park, Calif.), and Smith.
Video of all Brown volleyball home contests and all Ivy League matches, home and away, will be broadcast live on ILDN.TV/BROWN.
