Big Green Drop Five-Set Heartbreaker to Yale

Saturday, November 14

New Haven, Conn.

5:00 PM

Dartmouth College

12-11, 9-5

Yale

14-9, 9-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
Dartmouth	17	25	25	22	13	2
Yale	25	17	23	25	15	3

11/14/2015 7:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Dartmouth

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Dartmouth volleyball dropped a five-set heartbreaker to Yale (17-25, 25-17, 25-23, 22-25, 13-15) on the road Saturday.

The Big Green wrapped up their season with a record of 12-11 and 9-5 in conference play, while the Bulldogs ended their year with a 14-9 mark and 9-5 in league action. Princeton and Harvard will have a playoff to determine the champion.

Junior Emily Astarita led both squads with 23 kills, while senior Kaira Lujan had a good showing with 14 kills and a .524 hitting percentage. Junior Stacey Benton had 54 of the team's 62 assists and freshman Jordan Cornwell ended the night with 23 digs.

“I am so proud of the effort tonight against a very tough Yale team,” head coach Erin Lindsey said. “We played some of our best volleyball of the season tonight and just didn't have quite enough right at the end. I am so proud of how our senior class has brought our program into contention for the league championship. Although we fell short, I am so proud of the work this team put forth this season to represent Dartmouth with such class and spirit.”

Yale led right from the beginning of the first set, but Dartmouth fought hard to close the gap. Trailing, 20-9, the Big Green scored six consecutive points off three Bulldog errors and a kill apiece by Astarita, senior Paige Caridi and freshman Sierra Lyle (20-15). Three straight points ended the set.

Dartmouth tied things at one by taking the second set. With a 19-15 edge, two Astarita kills, an ace by Caridi and an error on the other side of the net made it a 23-15 set. Yale would get within seven points (24-17), but a kill by Lyle ended things swiftly.

Tied at 17 in the third set, the home team took a three-point lead off two kills and an error. With the Bulldogs holding a 21-18 advantage, two Yale errors and a Lujan kill tied the score at 21. From there, the Bulldogs would score just two more points off a pair of kills, while an error and two kills by Caridi and one by Astarita made it a 2-1 match.

In the fourth, Dartmouth led for the majority of the set. With the Green trailing, 22-20, the visitors tied things at 22 with one kill by Lyle and two by junior Molly Kornfeind. Yale responded with three straight points to send the match to a fifth set.

Dartmouth had a comfortable lead in the fifth until seven consecutive Bulldog points took the lead and gave it to the home team (12-9). The Big Green would get within one (14-13) on an Astarita kill, but a kill on the other side of the net gave the win to the Bulldogs.