Volleyball lost to Yale in four sets in the Ivy League Tournament semifinals to end its season.
In the first set, the Red (14-10, 8-6 Ivy) came out strong, jumping out to a 7-1 lead early on in the match. While the Bulldogs (19-5, 12-2 Ivy) rallied back to make the match closer, they never were able to overcome the Red’s strong start, as the Red held on to take the first set 25-21.
The first set victory marked the Red’s fourth straight-set win over Yale in the past two weeks. While it seemed like the Red had carried its momentum into the tournament, Yale quickly turned the tide.
“They served a lot tougher against us,” said head coach Trudy Vande Berg. “Their setter is second in the league in aces per set, and she didn’t serve against us two weekends ago. She’s a nasty server. It just got us out of rhythm, so we didn’t pass as well as we did the first time we played. That’s the big adjustment that was very apparent right from the start.”
In the second set, the Bulldogs tightened their defense and found success, outscoring the Red 25-17 to even the match at one set apiece. They would carry that energy into the next two sets, defeating the Red 25-20 and 25-21, respectively.
While this marked the end of the season for the Red, there were still many things to celebrate for the team. Freshman middle blocker Mackenzie Parsons was unanimously voted to be Ivy League Rookie of the Year and given All-Ivy First Team honors, a testament to her impressive debut season. Parsons set the record for highest single-season attack percentage in Cornell history at .412.
“I knew [Parsons] was going to come in and make a huge impact from the start, but I honestly didn’t know it was going to be this big,” Vande Berg said. “She’s so competitive, and it wasn’t just her skill out there. She brings so much energy. She brings everyone together. She wants the ball, and she wants to win”
Junior outside hitter Eliza Konvicka was also named to the All-Ivy First Team.
Additionally, Vande Berg and her assistant coaches Chanel Davis, Tamia Dockery and Tiana Dockery were named the Ivy League’s coaching staff of the year. The honor reflects the team’s turnaround from the 2023 season, where they finished a disappointing 7-16.
“It’s always nice to get that recognition as a staff,” Vande Berg said. “You can’t do anything without a group of players who are brought in and a great support staff. Everyone is a great coach in our league, and so that makes it feel even better.”
While the Red hoped to do better in the tournament, there is much to look forward to in the future. The team showed significant progress throughout the season, improving its record and competing at a high level against top Ivy League opponents. Next year, Vande Berg said she hopes her team can build off its success.
“After we lost to Yale in the conference tournament, we were really mad we lost because we knew we could have done it,” Vande Berg said. “That’s not something we’ve had on this team for the last three years, so that really excites me. I think they realized this year that it’s not easy, and so we learned a lot from this season. We learned a lot about what it takes to win matches. They’re hungry for more.”