Senior Kelly Johnson has averaged over 16 kills in the trio of Ivy League games thus far on the season.

Newcomer Kelley Wirth has burst onto the scene for the Bulldogs, averaging just under 13 kills per conference contest.

Despite Yale’s pedigree, however, the team isn’t intimidated.

“There’s nothing about Yale that scares me,” Bain said. “It’s more about the fact that they’re our rival institutionally that really inspires me to want to beat them.”

After an all-important conference game with Yale that would give Harvard control of its destiny going forward, the team will finish the weekend with a tilt against Brown.

Last year, Brown dealt Harvard one of its two losses in a straight-set loss the day after an emotional, five-set win over the Bulldogs.

The Bears have also got off to a hot start, its only conference loss having come at the hands of the Bulldogs.

Brown also boasts a highly-touted freshman in Sabrina Stillwell, who took home ECAC and Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors after recording 32 kills in a five-set win over Columbia, only two kills away from tying the school record.

“I’m more anxious about playing Brown than I am Yale,” Bain said. “It’s harder for us to match up and know how to defend them.”

—Staff writer Kurt T. Bullard can be reached at kurtbullard@college.harvard.edu.