Dartmouth Women's Volleyball Defeats Harvard, Sweeps the Crimson in Season Series

Friday, October 2

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

HARVARD

Dartmouth Women's Volleyball Defeats Harvard, Sweeps the Crimson in Season Series

10/2/2009 8:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball, Athletics

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth women's volleyball team swept Harvard for the second time this season, winning 3-0 over Harvard on Friday night. The Big Green hit .222 for the match while holding the Crimson to just .067. The victory improves Dartmouth to 6-6 overall, 2-0 in the Ivy League while Harvard falls to 4-9, 0-2 Ivy. Scores were 25-14, 25-22 and 25-19.

Senior Megan MacGregor (Carlsbad, Calif.) led the Big Green in hitting with a match-high 16 kills and a .517 hitting percentage. MacGregor also added three total blocks. Sophomore Madeline Baird (Austin, Texas) also recorded double-figures in kills with 12 while also addeing seven digs. Kendall Houston (Austin, Texas) was the top setter of the night with 35 while adding a match-high four service aces.

In the first set the Big Green began with two straight service aces by Houston to give Dartmouth the early lead. But Harvard bounced back as the set was tied several times in the early stages. A Baird kill gave the Big Green a 9-6 lead as Dartmouth increased that to 11-6, it's largest lead up to that point. Despite rallying back to 11-9, the Crimson could not get any closer as the Big Green went up 14-9 as Harvard was forced to take a timeout. After the break, Dartmouth increased the lead to 10 at 19-9 as Morgan Covington (Katy, Texas) killed the final point and the Big Green took the early lead in the match.

Set Two had the Crimson coming out early and taking a 5-1 lead. Kirsta Merchat (Carlsbad, Calif.) killed a point to end the skid for Dartmouth as Amber Bryant (Libertyville, Ill.) served four straight points. A Covington kill tied the set at 7-7 before a Harvard block allowed the Crimson to take a two-point lead as Dartmouth was forced into the timeout. Covington and Baird combined for a tremendous block as the Big Green pulled ahead and never look back. Houston added a solo block and Annie Villanueva (Santa Barbara, Calif.) added a kill to increase the Dartmouth lead to 18-12. Harvard clawed its way back as the visitors got to within two at 21-19 but two straight Crimson errors put the Big Green at set point as Houton's third service ace of the night gave Dartmouth the victory.

In the third and deciding set it was point-for-point early on but a block by MacGregor and Covington helped the home team to a 5-3 lead. Neither side was able to pull ahead by more than two as the two teams continuted to trade point through the midway point. The Big Green finally took the lead and stayed out in front as Harvard was forced to burn a timeout at 15-12. Houston helped her team increased its lead by serving five straight points as Dartmouth went up, 20-14. Covington recorded a huge kill to end the set and give the Big Green its second straight Ivy win.

Dartmouth will continue with Ivy play next weekend as the Big Green will travel to Columbia and Cornell on Friday and Saturday.