Tie game, four points to move on to the final. The Red had been in this position countless times, and the entirety of the season had prepared it for this moment.
But then a strange thing happened. Yale’s Lauren Kellen drove a kill right into the heart of Cornell’s defense. A well-placed serve gave the opposition an immediate two-point lead and all the momentum.
Just like that, the season came crashing down.
On November 21, volleyball (15-10, 10-5 Ivy) faced off against Yale (15-9, 10-4 Ivy) in the Ivy League Volleyball Tournament semifinal and was bested in five sets.
The opening set was a tale of two stories for the Red. While it was dominant on the front line, recording three of its first four points from blocks, it conceded three straight service errors, giving Yale an opportunity to remain in the game.
With Cornell holding a 13-11 lead, the group allowed a five point scoring run by Yale to relinquish the lead for good. In this run, the Red had an uncharacteristic four errors.
Despite a kill by senior outside/opposite hitter Eliza Konvicka to cut the deficit to four, Yale responded in kind after a final kill by Cam Bolane. The Bulldogs took the set 25-19.
In the second set, the Red demonstrated a newfound confidence. An early five point run fueled by Yale committing four attack errors gave Cornell a comfortable lead.
The Bulldogs orchestrated a four point run late in the set to knot the game at 23 apiece, and it felt as though the Red’s woes would catch up again.
Junior outside hitter Jaida Sione made sure that wouldn’t be the case, driving a well-placed set into Yale’s back row to give Cornell some breathing room. A subsequent attack error by Yale gave the Red a 25-23 victory.
The third set was by far the cleanest one so far. Both sides played incredible defense, which turned into even better offense. Neither squad held a lead greater than three points for the entire set, going blow for blow.
With Cornell facing a one point deficit and match point, Ivy League Rookie of the Year Ava Poinsett delivered the final kill, giving Yale a 25-23 win. Backs against the wall and facing elimination, each player had to dig deep and remember what, and who, they were fighting for.
Konvicka and senior outside/opposite hitter Nicole Mallus in particular put on their superwoman capes. They combined for seven of the Red’s first 11 points to keep the set close.
A back-and-forth affair saw both sides trade mini runs until the game was tied at 23. Fittingly, Konvicka gave Cornell its 24th point. Junior middle blocker Ava Bogan then called game, blocking Laurece Abraham’s attempt to send the match to a fifth set.
In the fifth set, the momentum swung like a pendulum. Early on, it felt as though Cornell had found its groove, using a creative offense strategy to get its middle blockers and outside hitters open looks.
Then, a timeout by Yale snuffed out the Red’s fire. The Bulldogs would go on to respond with a five point scoring run, using three straight errors by Cornell.
A late rally saw Cornell tie the set at 11 apiece, giving the Ithaca faithful hope that the season would be extended for one more night.
That’s when Kellen struck, giving Yale the lead again. An ensuing service ace doubled the Bulldog’s lead and effectively ended the Red's season.
A kill by Mallus trimmed the deficit to one, but Yale utilized perfect ball placement on service to earn its 14th and 15th point, winning the match 3-2.
Just like that, a historic season for the Red came to an end.
Despite injuries that ultimately sidelined two of Cornell's top players for the tournament, sophomore outside hitter Haley Clark and freshman setter Mikayla Gray, the squad fought hard and left it all on the line.
The team had an extended conversation in the following moments, taking the time to appreciate the seniors who played their final set of collegiate volleyball.
This season featured countless awards by various players for the Red. Konvicka garnered multiple Player of the Week awards and surpassed 1,000 career kills, sophomore middle blocker Mackenzie Parsons placed top ten in the country for hitting percentage and senior setter Doğa Özalp surpassed 2,000 career assists, good for top eight in school records.
As the majority of this core is returning for next season, fans are excited to see what another year of chemistry can do for this talented squad.
