NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The UAlbany volleyball team nearly rallied to take set three but fell in three at Yale (19-25, 20-25, 26-28) to open the Yale Invitational on Friday night.
UAlbany (0-4) led by four in set three but was unable to hold the advantage against tournament host Yale (1-0).
Akuabata Okenwa had a team-high 10 kills for UAlbany, adding three blocks. Amanda Dolan finished with six kills and four blocks while Laini Leindecker and Chloe Evering each notched eight kills.
For Yale, Kaitlyn Gibbons hit .567 with 19 kills and seven digs. Brittani Steinberg had a double-double with 15 kills and 22 digs.
An early 3-0 run, capped by an Evering kill, put UAlbany up 3-1 in the first set. The teams went back and forth as Dolan earned kills but Yale tied it up, taking the lead at 11-9 off two kills. At 11-10, Kate Swanson served the Bulldogs through a 4-0 run, capped by an ace, for a 15-10 Yale advantage. Later, a Yale handling error and an Okenwa kill put UAlbany within three at 20-17, but the Great Danes did not get closer as Yale took the set 25-19.
At 3-1 Yale in the second set, a service error set Mikala McCauley back to serve. She served UAlbany to a 4-0 run for a 5-3 UAlbany advantage. Okenwa had three early kills as UAlbany extended the lead to 9-6. Yale countered by taking the next four points, with Evering knocking down two kills to put UAlbany ahead 12-10. Yale picked up eight of the next 10 points, including two Brittani Steinberg kills, to go ahead 18-14. Kills from Leindecker and Okenwa brought UAlbany within two at 19-17, but another 4-0 Yale run gave the Bulldogs a six-point lead. Yale took the set 25-20 to go up 2-0.
The third set started back and forth as two kills each from Leindecker and Okenwa kept UAlbany close. A 3-0 run, started by a kill and block by Dolan, sent UAlbany up 9-6. The rallying continued until at 13-10, Yale took the next three to tie the set. UAlbany struck back after a Yale attack error as Nicole Otero served through a 4-0 sprint for a 17-13 lead. Yale kept winning pairs of points and later took the lead at 21-20. Leindecker and Okenwa earned back-to-back kills to put UAlbany ahead, and later, UAlbany picked up set point at 24-22. Yale defended twice as an Evering kill got another opportunity at 25-24, but Yale held on set point again plus a fourth time. Kelsey Crawford hit an ace, then an attack error ended the set in favor of Yale 28-26 to finish the match in three.
The Great Danes continue tomorrow in the Yale Invitational, taking on Rutgers at 12:30 p.m. and Iona at 4:30 p.m.
