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The Dartmouth
March 28, 2024 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Women's volleyball splits weekend against Ivy League foes

Big Green volleyball defeated Columbia in a five-game thriller only to lose to Cornell in four games the following day.
Big Green volleyball defeated Columbia in a five-game thriller only to lose to Cornell in four games the following day.

The Big Green's victory over Columbia came in a marathon five-game match. Dartmouth took the first two games before Columbia rallied to answer with two wins to force a decisive fifth game.

The first game of the match was a close one, with neither team leading by more than five throughout the game. Down 21-24, a successful tip from Nadine Parris '06 set Dartmouth back on course, as big hits from Jess Thomas '09 and Frances Samolowicz '08 allowed the Big Green to tie the game at 26.

The final few points were closely fought but Thomas was able to seal the deal for Dartmouth with a kill. The game ended 31-29.

Big Green fans had a scare as Columbia leapt out to a 1-5 lead in the second game before a Dartmouth timeout iced the Lions' server. At 4-6, a kill by Thomas sent setter Katie Hirsch '08 back to the line, where she served three aces in an eight-point run for Dartmouth. Despite a rally by Columbia to tie at 18, Dartmouth took the third game by a comfortable margin 30-25.

Columbia came alive after the second game as its attack percentage leapt up from .115 in the first game to .208 and .298 in the third and fourth games. After tying at 22 in the third game, Columbia outside hitter Amalia Viti scored three straight kills to put the match out of reach for Dartmouth. The Lions eventually took the game 23-30.

Dartmouth suffered a similarly frustrating loss in the fourth game, tying at 18 before a few errors by the Big Green permitted Columbia to win 24-30.

"Columbia came back because they did a great job playing scrappy and returning balls we thought were already dead," Sandy Barbut '08 said. "They never stopped until the whistle blew and played unbelievable defense."

Things were looking grim for Dartmouth in the final game of the match, as Columbia jumped out to a 2-7 lead. However, level-headed play from the Big Green along with key errors on the Columbia side let Dartmouth take five in a row to tie.

With the game tied at 12, two consecutive Dartmouth tools by Thomas and Megan MacGregor '10 gave Dartmouth match point, where a kill from Barbut clinched the win for the Big Green.

Dartmouth fared better against No. 1 Cornell in its game on Saturday than in its previous meeting with the Big Red this season, taking one game off before losing in four. Cornell's large front line and formidable blocking took a toll on Dartmouth's offense.

Cornell took the first two games of the match 26-30 and 19-30, hitting an amazing .541 in the second game. With their backs against the wall, the women in green fought hard to take the third match 31-29.

"We had been going almost point-for-point with Cornell all night. The major difference in the third game was that we gained the three-point lead right away," Parris said. "We continued going point-for-point and held them off for the most point. Gaining that lead in the beginning put us in a very good position to win when we hit the 20s."

Barbut's move from opposite to outside hitter helped the Big Green's offense in the third game, where Dartmouth hit as well as they did all night at .255. In the final game of the night, Cornell pulled away late to win the game 23-30.

In her last two games on the floor of Leede Arena, Parris scored 17 kills in two matches and hit .210.

"Nadine is an unbelievable captain and teammate. Her work ethic, sincere interest in her teammates and pure athletic ability make her an irreplaceable presence on the court and off," Barbut said about Parris' contributions to the team this season. "Her belief in herself and her teammates pushed and encouraged us to get better the entire season."

Dartmouth goes on the road this weekend to play Brown on Friday before wrapping up the season against Yale on Saturday.