One year ago, Alison McKinley '99 traveled to Dartmouth on a volleyball recruiting trip from sunny California. As she pulled into Hanover, so did a snowstorm, something that would send many Californians fleeing.
Lucky for Dartmouth volleyball, the storm did not scare McKinley away -- it drew her to the school.
And good thing it did. In her one season at Dartmouth, McKinley built an impressive statistics sheet. The freshman from Orinda, Calif. has missed only one match this season, due to a knee injury.
"Ali was recruited at almost every Ivy League school," Coach Ann Marie Larese said.
"I certainly wouldn't want her playing on any other team," Larese said.
A starting outside hitter for the Big Green, McKinley proved her prowess in both her defensive and offensive skills.
She led the team in both kills and digs this season.
McKinley tallied approximately 300 more kills than last season's team leader. She ended the season with 376, averaging 3.8 kills per game. As for digs, McKinley recorded 445.
McKinley's serving was nothing to be looked down upon either. The freshman collected 33 service aces throughout the season, ranking fourth on the team.
McKinley also recorded three individual highs in matches. At the start of the season, on Sept. 30, McKinley fed Bucknell 28 kills. McKinley stood out again at the Oct. 14 3-2 victory over Columbia, digging out 32 balls. Finally, McKinley finished the season with 65 total attacks on Cornell last weekend at the Ivy League Championships.
McKinley's talents, added to the skill of her teammates, has resulted in a very sucessful season for the Big Green. The team has had a turnaround from last year's final record of 2-18 to this year's 17-13.
Along with her talent, McKinley brought her personality to the team. "She has a great attitude for an athlete -- intense and fun," Captain Carmen Schmitt '97 said.
