Volleyball begins league play at Yale on Friday

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Brown volleyball team kicks off its Ivy League schedule with a match at Yale on Friday, Sept. 24. The match against the Bulldogs will start at 7:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.

SCOUTING BROWN (7-3, 0-0 Ivy)

Brown comes into the match having won three-straight matches. The Bears beat Central Connecticut State in five sets before defeating Scared Heart in four and sweeping Hartford to close out the weekend.
Sophia Miller was named Ivy League Player of the Week after leading Brown's offense and being named to the All-Tournament Team. Miller averaged 4.25 kills per set, hitting .322 over the three matches, and finished with 1.92 digs per set.
Beau Vanderlaan was named to the All-Tournament Team at Hartford after another solid weekend for the Freshman. Vanderlaan collected at least seven kills, hit at least .368, including a weekend-high .429 and finished the weekend with 10 blocks.
Brown's offense is hitting .253 on the season, including getting to the .300 mark in tow of its last three matches. The Bears come in to the weekend holding on to the best hitting percentage in the Ivy League through non-conference play.
Brown's defense is third in the league, holding teams to a .174 hitting percentage. A big reason for this is Brown's net defense which is tops in the league at 2.34 blocks per set. Zoe Ubamadu leads the team with 1.25 blocks per set, which is tops in the conference.

SCOUTING YALE (7-2, 0-0 Ivy)

Yale enters the first week of league play with a 7-2 overall record. The Bulldogs had won six-straight matches before falling in a four-set match at UConn the last time on the court.
The Bulldogs have a well-rounded offense with five players averaging at least 2.00 kills per set this season. Bonnie Bostic leads the team with 2.86 kills per set. Gigi Barr is leading the team in hitting percentage at .366 on the year.
The service line has been important for Yale this year as the Bulldogs are averaging a league-high 1.90 aces per set.
Yale boasts the stingiest defense in the league through non-conference play, allowing opponents to hit just .154 on the year. Maile Somera is third in the Ivy League with 4.68 digs per set.

RECENT HISTORY

It has been a struggle for the Bears against the Bulldogs recently. Brown has lost the last four meetings in 3-0 decisions and eight-straight in the series. The last win for Brown against Yale was a 3-1 win in 2015.