Volleyball Starts Ivy League Play at Yale on Friday

Friday, September 22

New Haven, Conn.

7 p.m.

Brown University

Yale

Photo by: Emma C. Marion

Volleyball Starts Ivy League Play at Yale on Friday

9/21/2023 10:09:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

Watch on ESPN+Live Stats

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Brown volleyball begins Ivy League play at Yale on Friday, Sept. 22. The match will begin at 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.

The Bears come into the match with a 9-1 record and are off to the best start in program history. Brown's only loss came in a four-set defeat to Michigan State last weekend. Yale, the Ivy league preseason favorites, are 5-3 on the year and are coming off a win at Loyola Chicago.

GAME LINKS
Live Stats
Watch (ESPN+)

SCOUTING BROWN

Brown is off to its best start in program history as the Bears are 9-1 in their first 10 games. Brown also won its first eight games of the season for the first time in program history.
In their last match, Brown swept UConn for its first win against the Huskies in the last 13 meetings. Before the sweep of UConn, Brown had not beaten UConn since Oct. 12, 1988.
The Bears sit on top of the Ivy League in multiple statistical categories through the non-conference season. The Bears lead in all three major offensive categories, sitting first in hitting percentage (.262), assists per set (12.83) and kills per set (14.17). Brown also sits first in digs per set (15.60) and opposing hitting percentage (.151).
Beau Vanderlaan was named Ivy League Player of the Week for her strong play this past weekend. Vanderlaan finished with double-digit kills in all three matches and hit over .600 in two of the three contests. She was the second-straight Bear to win Player of the Week after Cierra Jenkins earned the honor two weeks ago.
Brown's offense has been well-balanced with four Bears sitting in the top eight in kills per set in the Ivy League. Mariia Sidorova sits in fourth (3.41), followed by Kate Shiere in sixth (2.91), Kayla Griebl in seventh (2.86) and Beau Vanderlaan in eighth (2.83).
Jessie Golden is leading the Ivy League with 5.83 digs per set, over 1.5 digs per set more than the second-place player. Golden has posted double-digit digs in all seven matches she has appeared in and has four games with at least 20 digs. Golden is also second in the Ivy League with 0.43 service aces per set.

SCOUTING YALE

Yale sits second in the Ivy League behind Brown in hitting percentage (.237), assists per set (12.30), kills per set (13.87) and digs per set (14.80).
Betsy Goodenow earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week last week with 3.57 kills per set and 2.43 digs per set.
The Bulldogs have six players averaging over 2.00 kills per set. Goodenow leads the team with 2.80 kills per set, followed by Mila Yarich (2.48/set) and Gigi Barr (2.46/set).
Maile Somera is tops on the team with 4.17 digs per set and Yarich is second on the team at 3.13 per set.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Brown will be looking to snap a four-match losing streak to Yale as the Bears face off against the Bulldogs to open Ivy League play. Brown lost three matches to Yale last season, losing in five sets and four sets in the regular season and in four sets in the Ivy League Tournament Final.
Yale has owned the series with Brown having won 12 of the last 13 games and 32 of the last 34 contests.

BROWN UNIVERSITY SPORTS FOUNDATION
The Brown University Sports Foundation (BUSF) is the lifeblood of the athletics program, and exists to enhance the student-athlete experience through philanthropic support from alumni, parents, fans and friends. A gift through the Sports Foundation makes an immediate impact on today's Brown Bears and helps them to be their best in the classroom, in competition and most importantly in the community. To learn more about supporting the Bears, please click here.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL
For the latest on Brown Athletics, please follow @BrownU_Bears on Twitter, @BrownU_Bears on Instagram, like BrownUBears on Facebook and subscribe to the BrownAthletics YouTube channel.