Dartmouth Women's Volleyball Drops Ivy Opener to Harvard

Friday, September 26

Hanover, N.H.

7:30 PM

Dartmouth College

HARVARD

Dartmouth Women's Volleyball Drops Ivy Opener to Harvard

9/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

HANOVER, N.H. ? In just her second match of the season, Dartmouth (3-6, 0-1 Ivy) captain Jess Thomas (Tampa, Fla.) led her squad with a double-double but it was not enough as the Big Green women's volleyball team dropped a tough four-set match to Harvard (3-8, 1-0 Ivy) in both team's Ivy opener. The Crimson won the first game, 27-25 while Dartmouth came back to take the second, 25-23 but it was Harvard that won the next two, 25-14 and 25-22.

In Game One the Crimson reeled off five unanswered points behind the serving of Katherine Kocurek. Kills by Dartmouth's Madeline Baird (Austin, Texas) and Kelsey Johnson (Carlsbad, Calif.) gave the Big Green two points as the two then battled point-for-point. A Morgan Covington (Katy, Texas) kill tied the two at 10. Harvard took the lead again, going up by three before Baird killed a point and then served to tie the score. A block assist by Johnson and Natalie Wrobel (La Jolla, Calif.) gave the Big Green a one-point lead as Harvard took a timeout. Coming out of the break the two teams tied twice before Thomas served her team to a two-point lead. After another Crimson timeout the visitors tied the score as the Big Green then needed to take a break. Harvard stole the next two points to claim the win and go up by a set.

Game Two had Dartmouth taking the early lead behind the serving of Thomas as the Big Green quickly went up 7-2. A Harvard timeout helped the visitors reel off three straight points but Dartmouth increased its lead to five again. The Crimson tied the contest at 13 but Thomas helped her squad to three more points and the lead. Another tie at 18 allowed Baird to serve her team to a three-point lead before two Covington kills put the game away, as the Big Green tied the match at a game apiece.

Game Three was all Harvard as three aces by the Crimson to start the contest gave them a 7-2 lead. Amber Bryant (Libertyville, Ill.) helped her team to two points after a timeout but the Crimson ran away with an easy win to take the lead in the match.

The fourth and deciding game was close late as Harvard gave up a five point lead behind kills by Baird and Johnson along with service aces by Bryant and Megan MacGregor (Carlsbad, Calif.). A block assist by Johnson and MacGregor gave the Big Green a two-point lead at 18-16 but Harvard won the next four points before the Big Green tied things at 22. With game point on the line for the Crimson, Dartmouth took a timeout but a hitting error would end the set as the Crimson won its first Ivy match of the season.

Thomas chipped in 15 kills and 16 digs while Baird led the team with 18 kills and had 10 digs. Wrobel was tops with 37 assists and 11 digs for her first double-double of the season. Bryant added 13 kills and one service ace.

Harvard had four players in double-figures in kills as Kocurek led her team in digs with 25. Lily Durwood was tops for the Crimson in assists with 61.

Dartmouth will be back in action tomorrow with Day Two of the Dartmouth Invitational. The Big Green will take on St. Francis at 1:00 and then Bryant at 5:00. Harvard and Bryant will meet at 11:00 a.m. before the Crimson then takes on St. Francis at 3:00.