When the volleyball team traveled down to Harvard this past Tuesday, it lost more than it bargained for. Not only did Dartmouth lose the game, 1-3, but the team also lost starting outside hitter Alison McKinley '99 to a knee injury and outside hitter Erin Clarke '99 to bronchitis.
These losses left the Big Green with only nine players with which to work. With six of those on the court and two being defensive specialists, this left the team one substitute.
"The game was so un-what I expected," Coach Ann Marie Larese said. "Both [Harvard Coach] Jenn Bates and I expected it to be a very fast game, but it ended up being really sloppy."
Three points into the match, McKinley went down with an injury to her right knee. Her injury led to a shuffling of the team on the court.
Dartmouth went on to drop that game, 6-15, and followed it with another loss in the second game, 8-15.
In the third game, Clarke began to hyperventilate because of her bronchitis and was forced to leave the game early. Dartmouth managed to pull together as a team despite losing two players and took a close decision, 17-15.
"We had a chance to push it to five," Larese said. Dartmouth was up 8-3 in the fourth game, but let the Crimson catch up and pass them to take the match with an 11-15 win.
"We were up in the fourth, but we just stalled at 11," Larese said.
The loss of the match dropped Dartmouth's record to 12-7 overall, 1-4 in the Ivy League.
The two losses left voids to fill on the Dartmouth side of the net. Outside hitter Emily Hallenbeck '99 stepped up and helped fill this void, tallying 19 kills and 22 digs. Middle blocker Danra Kazenski '99 came up big for Dartmouth as well, posting five blocks and nine kills.
"Erin Dawkins ['97] also did a great job stepping in," Larese said. Dawkins had 14 digs, six kills and two aces to help keep her team in the game.
"If we had had our starting team, the match could have gone another way," Larese said. "The Harvard starters just didn't play well. Both teams were playing with handicaps."
Dartmouth faces Northeastern on their turf this evening and hopes to have a repeat performance of the previous Northeastern match.
Earlier in the season, the Big Green easily beat Northeastern in three games, 15-13, 15-9, 15-5.
"They are much improved now, though," Larese said.
It is uncertain as to whether or not McKinley will be back to play in the match, Larese said.
"We think it's a rest and stretch injury and not that bad of a strain." Larese said.
