The women's volleyball team will look to tally its first Ivy League victory at home when the Big Green take on Cornell tonight at 7:00 and then battle Columbia tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.
Dartmouth opened its Ivy League season last weekend when it traveled to Princeton and Penn. The Big Green experienced two difficult losses but looks to improve upon their performance this weekend.
"Ivy League play is definitely a lot stronger than what we've seen," Schmitt said. She cited the Bucknell game on September 30, arguably Dartmouth's best game of the season, as equal if not better competition. "That game shows where we can go."
Cornell has had its best start this season since 1989, according to Larese.
Schmitt agreed. "These are funded programs with years of experience. It will be challenging but not at the level of last weekend."
The team, many of the members who have been recovering from illness, hopes to be back to normal by this weekend with Kolp back as setter.
If the team does pull off a win, it will be the first Ivy League win for Dartmouth ever as a fully funded varsity.
"We really have to push in the first and second game," Schmitt said. "The team with momentum is the team that's going to win. Especially with the Ivies, you just can't take a breath."
Dartmouth will look to use the momentum gained from last Tuesday's win against Holy Cross. The Big Green defeated Holy Cross in four games improving their record to 11-5 overall.
The win for Dartmouth was indeed an achievement as starting setter Felicity Kolp '99 was unable to travel with the team to Holy Cross due to a class conflict. Kolp is the team's only setter.
Captain Carmen Schmitt '97, normally an outside hitter, stepped into the position of setter for the game and assisted the team to a victory.
"Carmen played very well as a setter," middle blocker Janene Ashford '97 said. "She did a great job stepping into a different role."Schmitt has had some experience in the past as a setter. She set for the second half of the 1994 season. Even so, without practice, the position can be very demanding. This difficulty led in turn to a need for strong teamwork.
"The girls tried hard to get me a good, easy pass so I didn't have to run all over the court" to get the second ball, Schmitt said.
"Carmen hadn't really set a ball all year, but the trouble spots in the match had nothing to do with Carmen," Coach Ann Marie Larese said. "They didn't stem from the setting."
Dartmouth came out slow in the first game but still managed to overwhelm the Crusaders and come out with a 15-8 win.
Trouble with the second game, such that has plagued the Big Green all season, hit again during this match. Dartmouth gained a 7-2 lead, but then dropped the second game 12-15.
However, Schmitt stressed that the loss was not because of Holy Cross's play.
"Everything we did wrong was our fault," she said.
One of Dartmouth's goals this season has been to improve play during the second game.
In this match, the trouble came in the form of serve-receive and serve -- usually strong points for Dartmouth. In total, Dartmouth tallied 10 service errors for the match as well as nine reception errors.
"We couldn't afford to give Holy Cross those points," Larese said. "[Serve-receive and serve] are what's kept us in matches and won us matches."
"We've been struggling with the first and second game," Schmitt said. "We need to start strong and keep the momentum going."
Dartmouth stepped back on the court with renewed concentration and determination for the third game. The Big Green held the Crusaders to seven points in this game and defeated Holy Cross, 15-7.
Momentum persisted for Dartmouth in the fourth game, and the Big Green finished up the match with a 15-6 win.
Freshman outside hitter Alison McKinley tallied 24 kills throughout the match, just four behind her and the team's individual high of 28 during the Bucknell game on Sept. 30.
Three other freshmen, middle blocker Danra Kazenski, outside hitter Emily Hallenbeck and outside hitter Erin Clarke, helped preserve the win on defense. Kazenski and Hallenbeck each had 12 digs, while Clarke followed close behind with 11.
Larese also noted the solid play off the bench. Middle blocker "Latia Curry '98 did a great job off the bench."
"We had hoped to go in and beat Holy Cross in three straight, to get in and get out again," Schmitt said. "Holy Cross was supposed to be a confidence-builder. The past weekend was a little disappointing [losing to both Princeton and Penn]. This shows we can hang in there."
