Following its largely successful preseason run, the Dartmouth women's volleyball team opened Ivy League play with a closely-contested 3-2 win over Harvard University on Saturday, marking the team's fifth straight win over the Crimson (7-4, 0-1 Ivy).
While co-captain Annie Villanueva '12 said the win did not necessarily showcase the Big Green's finest effort, she expressed satisfaction with the team's display of patience and discipline in the win.
"It was really intense back and forth play, but I really trusted that we were going to win," Villanueva said.
Co-captain Amber Bryant '12 agreed, calling the game a "grind" in spite of her belief that the Big Green could conquer the Crimson.
The Big Green (9-3, 1-0 Ivy) jumped out to a 16-8 lead in the first set, but Harvard stormed to take a 20-19 lead of its own. Dartmouth held strong, however, going on to win six of the last eight points to secure the set.
The Crimson continued its strong play in the second set, establishing an 8-3 lead. Although the Big Green picked up to narrow the margin, Harvard remained on top and eventually won the set, 25-23.
Six kills each by Madeline Baird '12 and Alex Schoenberger '15 proved crucial to Dartmouth's 26-24 third set win, as the Big Green turned around a 17-12 deficit.
This momentum did not transfer to the fourth set, however, and Harvard won it easily by a 25-15 margin.
With the score close throughout the match, the fifth set was the most exciting of the night. Dartmouth held the lead during the entire set, and with two kills by Villanueva and Baird, the Big Green eventually pulled ahead to take a 10-6 lead. The team went on to win the set, 15-10.
Bryant said the team felt a large sense of accomplishment in the win.
"Leaving that gym for the last time with a win was probably the best thing I've felt in a long time," Bryant said.
Schoenberger recorded a season high in kills with 21, and Baird recorded a match high with 22. Schoenberger also added seven digs and five blocks, while Baird added 16 digs for her eighth double-double in a row. Bryant led in digs with 26.
The joint effort of setters Kendall Houston '12 and Alissa Santa Maria '13 resulted in 49 total assists 25 by Houston and 24 by Santa Maria.
The Big Green will look for its sixth and seventh consecutive wins this weekend when it continues League play against the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University. Villanueva said the team will be hard at work this week in preparation for the competitive matchups.
"We're excited to work hard at practice," Villanueva said. "It's a really good chance for us to run our system so that we can play even better."
Villanueva is a member of The Dartmouth Photography Staff.
