Box Score

ITHACA, N.Y. – The Big Red volleyball team got solid efforts from its pair of seniors – Erin McCarthy and Alessa Cekauskas – in the final game of their careers, but it wasn't enough to upset Ivy League leading Yale this evening at Newman Arena. The Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the Ivy crown with a straight set victory, winning 25-20, 25-21, 25-21. The Big Red finished the season with a record of 4-20 overall and 2-12 in the Ivy League.

Cornell was led by Kelly Hansen's 12 kills and .276 hitting percentage (12-4-29), while Cekauskas and McCarthy added six kills apiece. McCarthy also led the squad with a team-high 12 digs. Setter Jordan Reeder finished with 27 assists and six digs, and proved to made solid decisions on attack with three kills and no errors on nine attempts (.333).

Yale (18-7, 12-2) was led by a trio of hitters in double figures, including Bridget Hearst (11), Erica Reetz (10) and Taylor Cramm (10). Kendall Polan split the setting duties with Kerry Clavadetscher and posted 27 assists and a game-high 18 digs, while Clavadetscher finished with 19 assists and nine digs. Libero Kelly Ozuroich and Katie Cordell tallied 16 and 12 digs, respectively.

The Big Red got off to a great start in the first set, forcing nine ties and seeing three lead changes, but Yale scored five unanswered points late in the set to go up 21-16, and then held the lead to the 25-20 finish.

The second set was also a back-and-forth affair with Cornell trailing 7-6 before an 8-3 run by the visitors put Yale up, 15-9. The Big Red fought slowly crept back into the contest and a kill by Hansen, followed by a Yale error cut the Bulldog's advantage to 21-20. A kill by Hearst and a Cornell error gave Yale some much-needed breathing room, but a Hansen kill pulled the Big Red within two, 23-21. The Bulldogs closed out the set with a kill by Hearst and a service ace from Ozurovich.

Yale jumped out to an early 6-2 lead in the decisive set and never trailed. Three times, Cornell cut the lead to three points, but that was as close as it would get, as the Bulldogs used the strength of a .349 team hitting percentage to put the match away.