Nov. 23, 2007

Box Score

LONG BEACH, Calif.--The Yale volleyball team's trip to California wasn't just about getting to spend Thanksgiving together. The Bulldogs had matches to play, too. Yale opened the Baden Thanksgiving Classic Friday afternoon at Walter Pyramid against host Long Beach State. The Bulldogs (16-8) put up a fight in game one, but the 49ers (23-6) took control in games two and three to post a 30-26, 30-14, 30-16 victory.

The first game was the most competitive of the match, featuring seven ties and three lead changes. With the Bulldogs leading 7-6, the 49ers went on a 4-0 rally to take a 10-7 advantage. That run was the difference, as the sides traded one or two points apiece the rest of the game. The Bulldogs used a 3-0 run to cut a 16-11 deficit to 16-14, but that's as close as Yale would get. Long Beach State immediately countered with a 3-0 run of its own to run the lead back to five at 19-14. Yale used one last push to get within 27-25, but the 49ers scored three of the last four points to secure a 30-26 game one win.

The 49ers controlled game two from the start. Long Beach State built early leads of 7-1, 9-2 and 12-3 before a four-point Yale run made it 12-7. The 49ers won eight of the next 10 points to build a 20-9 cushion and essentially wrap up the game. Long Beach State finished off a 30-14 win with runs of 4-0, 3-0 and 3-0 down the stretch. The 49ers hit .414 in game two, smacking 14 kills and committing just two errors in 29 swings. Yale, meanwhile, hit -.029 (9-10-35).

After Yale took a 3-2 lead in game three, the game quickly started to resemble game two. The 49ers used a 4-0 run to pull in front for good, then used an 8-2 rally to pad that cushion. Ally Mendenhall's kill ignited a mini-run that trimmed Long Beach State's lead from 20-9 to 21-13, but the 49ers responded with seven of the next eight points to all but put it away. Kristen Wilk was blocked on match point, giving the 49ers a 30-16 win in game three and a 3-0 victory in the match. Long Beach State continued its impressive hitting in game three, hitting .480 (15-3-25) as a team. Yale hit -.032 (7-8-31) in the game.

"That's a very good team," Yale head coach Erin Appleman said about Long Beach State. "When a team that good is hitting that well, they're very tough to stop."

No Yale player reached double figures in kills for the first time since Sept. 14 against Penn State. Julia Mailander led the way with nine kills, while Alexis Crusey and Wilk each tallied seven. Mendenhall had 26 assists and a team-high nine digs. Lydia Mailander added eight digs and Laurel Johnson notched three blocks. The Penn State match was also the last time the Bulldogs didn't have a 10-dig performance. The Bulldogs hit just .090 (31-21-111) in the match, including the negative hitting percentages in games two and three.

First team All-Big West performer Michaela Hasalikova tallied 11 kills on .625 hitting for the 49ers. She committed just one error in 16 attempts. Qunicy Verdin added 10 kills and Alexis Crimes posted nine. Naomi Washington recorded eight kills and five blocks. Nicole Vargas had four kills to go along with 36 assists, seven digs, four blocks and five service aces. Talaya Whitfield notched a match-high 16 digs, as the 49ers out-dug the Bulldogs 47-36. Long Beach State hit .346 (49-13-104) as a team and made just five attack errors in the final two games.

The Bulldogs continue the tournament with a second match on Friday. Yale takes on No. 8 Florida at 10 p.m. ET.

Report filed by Joe Clifford, Yale Sports Publicity