Volleyball Defeats Bryant in Straight Sets at Home Opener

Tuesday, September 23

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

9-2

BRYANT

3-15

Bryant

Dartmouth

Volleyball Defeats Bryant in Straight Sets at Home Opener

9/23/2014 8:58:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. – Dartmouth volleyball defeated Bryant in straight sets at its home-opening match on Tuesday evening in Leede Arena, winning by a score of 25-15, 25-14, 25-20. The Big Green improved to 9-2 on the season, while the Bulldogs dipped to 3-15.

“I was really excited to be back at home and am proud of how focused the team came out,” said head coach Erin Lindsey. “Bryant is a really hardworking team and swings hard and we knew that if we weren't disciplined, they would find ways to score, and we saw that in the last set. I'm happy with how we adjusted to that.”

Dartmouth and Bryant were evenly matched from the start of the first set, with the team from the Upper Valley earning the first point off an error and the opponent countering with a kill. From there, the score was tied seven times until three straight errors by the Bulldogs gave the Big Green a 14-11 edge.

A kill apiece by sophomores Emily Astarita and Lottie MacAulay and an error furthered Dartmouth's lead to 18-12. With two kills on the other side of the net, and five errors in favor of the home team, the Green and White shut the set down, 25-14.

Although the second set was closer than the first, Dartmouth earned the first two points of an error and an ace by sophomore Stacey Benton to give the Big Green a slight lead. The home team remained just a point or two ahead until it went on a five-point rally following two kills by sophomore Kaira Lujan, a kill by senior Lucia Pohlman and junior Paige Caridi, and two errors, giving the Green and White an 18-12 edge. For the remainder of the set, the team from the Upper Valley allowed just two points, while three kills by sophomore Molly Korfeind helped to end the set.

Three kills by MacAulay and two errors gave Dartmouth a 5-0 lead to start the third set, and the Big Green got as far six points ahead before Bryant started to close the gap. Two kills and an ace by the opponent put the Bulldogs just four points behind (14-10) and the two teams would remain that close until the end of the set.

A kill by Pohlman and an error gave the Big Green a 21-17 lead, while two errors by the home team took the score to 21-19. An error by the Bulldogs and a kill by freshman Marisol Tracey got the Green and White two points closer to ending the set (23-19) and an error lessened their lead (23-20) once again. Two Bryant errors gave Dartmouth the two points it needed to wrap up the match.

Leading Dartmouth in kills were Kornfeind and Lujan, who both had eight, while Caridi had 13 digs. Benton led with her 28 assists and also registered 10 digs.

The Green and White open Ivy League action on Saturday, Sept. 27 when they welcome Harvard to town for a 4 p.m. match.