After the Harvard women’s volleyball team came up empty handed last weekend in its second wave of Ivy League play, the squad hit the road once again hoping to improve its conference record.

The Crimson (4-10, 2-3 Ivy) managed to pick up one win in its return to Cambridge, splitting its two Columbus Day weekend matches by beating Brown (4-11, 2-3) on Friday afternoon before losing to Yale (11-3, 4-1) the following evening.

“I’m proud of the way we are growing as a team,” co-captain Corie Bain said. “I think that this weekend was kind of a solidifying experience for us....I’m starting to see the young girls learn what the Ivy League is all about.”

HARVARD 3, BROWN 1

Fueled by two runs book-ending the game, Brown thumped Harvard in a lopsided 25-10 first set. The Bears, recording a match-high .269 hitting percentage in the opening set, received major contributions from freshman outside hitter Makena Ehlert, who tallied nine points behind her serve in the first set alone.

The Crimson, however, would not capitulate another set for the rest of the contest, rattling off three consecutive games en route to victory.

“We did not show up ready to play...[but] we had the chance to turn it around,” Bain said. “It was nice to know that even if we start off weak, we can come back strong and win the game.”

Friday night’s win marks the fourth straight match between the two Ivy League foes ending in Harvard’s favor.

After a close 25-23 second frame followed by a more one-sided 25-15 third set, Harvard led Brown 23-20 in the fourth set when Bears coach Diane Short called a timeout in an effort to slow momentum and refocus her team. This proved to be an effective strategy, as the timeout iced the serve of Harvard sophomore middle blocker Jocelyn Meyer; two Brown kills then tied the set at 23.

Just when the outcome of the set looked to be in question, the Crimson’s Bain put down a kill and subsequently served the final point before assisting sophomore middle blocker Christina Cornelius on the match-ending kill.

“We’ve always said in Harvard volleyball that...anyone can take that fifth game,” Bain remarked. “I really pushed to have us win in four [games].”

While clawing its way back from the anomalous first set, Harvard benefitted greatly from freshman outside hitter Grace Roberts Burbank’s game-high 14 kills. Likewise, the setting duo of Bain and freshman Erin McCarthy recorded a combined 43 assists and 21 digs. Bain also had 11 kills on the afternoon.

Freshman middle blocker Maclaine Fields played an efficient match, as she recorded nine kills without a single hitting error, which led to a team-high .450 hitting percentage.

On the other side of the net, Brown junior libero Melissa Cairo was all over the floor, digging 23 balls. In the front row, junior outside hitter Casey Tierney was the only Bear in double figures for kills, tallying 11.

YALE 3, HARVARD 1