As a five-time Grammy Award winner and singer of the famous song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey is known around the world for her vocal agility and the ability to reach soaring high notes.
The Red has drawn inspiration from Ms. Carey throughout the season, reaching unprecedented high notes (including a stretch of matches in which it went 21-4 in sets and 7-0 in games). This weekend was no different as the Red clinched a top-two seed in the Ivy League Volleyball Tournament for the first time since 2018.
Cornell (15-9, 10-4 Ivy) faced off against Yale (14-8, 10-4 Ivy) and Brown (14-9, 9-5 Ivy), dropping the first outing and winning the second one, both via sweeps.
In the first set against the Bulldogs, the Red got off to an energetic start, demonstrating its ability to find efficient offense from senior outside/opposite hitter Eliza Konvicka and junior outside hitter Jaida Sione, who combined for eight of the Red’s first 16 points.
Unfortunately, an inability to suppress Yale’s Laurece Abraham led to a 20-25 defeat for the Red. Abraham registered six kills and played ferocious defense in the opening set.
The next set saw Cornell fall into an early 1-7 deficit, prompting an immediate timeout from head coach Trudy Vande Berg. Coming out of the break, the Red looked much more composed, but was still unable to generate any sustained run. A tit-for-tat affair saw the set end in Yale’s favor after a final kill by Ava Poinsett.
The final set was much of the same for the Red, as another early seven point deficit ensured that Cornell would never get any momentum. Despite some bright moments from freshman setter Mary Wolcott, the Red would concede the set, losing 16-25.
“We talked in the locker room about how all of us, especially the upperclassmen, have trained so hard to build this program into what it is today, and that everything we’ve done shouldn’t be for nothing,” said freshman setter Mikayla Gray. “We reminded each other that we owe it to ourselves to finish what we started and play with the same grit we’ve shown all season.”
The following evening, Cornell came out with much higher energy and effort against the Bears. A four-point scoring run in the middle of the opening set, fueled by the two feature middle blockers, junior Ava Bogan and sophomore Mackenzie Parsons, gave the Red the distance it needed to comfortably close out the set. Cornell would go on to win 25-10.
“That conversation really helped us regroup,” Gray said. “By the time we stepped on the court against Brown, we were focused and united.”
In the second set, Brown responded to Cornell’s push, using creative hitting and elite ball placement to go on an extended 8-3 run to turn a four point deficit into a one point lead. Despite this momentum, the Red remained calm, relying on its captain Konvicka for stifling defense and powerful offense.
Cornell used a 6-2 run of its own to retake the lead and never looked back. Brown made a late push to trail 22-23, but after an attack error and a final block by Parsons and senior outside/opposite hitter Meghan Gaffigan, the Red secured the victory 25-22.
In the final set of the regular season, both squads fought valiantly, determined to end their respective seasons on a high note. The Red and the Bears traded repeated kills and service aces, taking and relinquishing the lead every few volleys.
With the set tied at 20-20, Cornell once again relied on its senior talent to close out the set, with Konvicka and Gaffigan combining for three of the final five points. The Red emerged victorious by the same score, 25-22.
“It was super important for us to finish the regular season with a sweep, because ending on a strong note gave us the momentum and confidence we need heading into the Ivy [League Volleyball] Tournament,” Gray said. “It reminded us of what we look like when we’re locked in and playing for each other. I think it also set the tone that we’re not done yet and that we’re ready to keep competing at a high level.”
Gray sustained a concussion the previous night, and was therefore inactive for the match against Brown. She remarked that watching the entire game from the sideline was a unique perspective, and it offered her new insight.
A season marred with adversity, injury and growth has seen the Red finish on its highest note in seven years. With this victory, the Red propelled itself into a top-two seeding for the Ivy League Volleyball Tournament, setting up a rematch with the Bulldogs on Friday, Nov. 21 at 7:00pm in Dillon Gymnasium at Princeton, New Jersey.
“We are so ready to come back with intensity because we want that championship title. Our mindset is all in. Losing to Yale taught us a lot about where we need to tighten things up, and instead of getting discouraged, it made us more focused,” Gray commented. “We’ve been using that loss as motivation, and we’re coming in with a different level of energy and confidence. Facing them again feels like a chance to prove how much we’ve flipped that switch.”
Here in Ithaca, all the student body and faculty wants for Christmas is an Ivy League Volleyball Championship. Coverage is available on ESPN+.
