Big Green Blank Quakers to Wrap up Home Weekend

Saturday, October 6

Hanover, N.H.

5:00 PM

Dartmouth College

6-9, 2-3

Penn

3-13, 0-5

Penn

Dartmouth

Junior Carly Tower

Photo by: Doug Austin

Big Green Blank Quakers to Wrap up Home Weekend

10/6/2018 6:46:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Doug Austin Photos

By: Charlotte Brackett

HANOVER, N.H. – Dartmouth volleyball won three very close sets against Penn (25-23, 25-22, 25-22) at Leede Arena on Saturday evening. The Big Green improved to 6-9 and 2-3 in Ivy League play, while the Quakers fell to 3-13 and 0-5.

Freshman Francesca Meldrum led the team with her eight kills and three block assists, ending the match with 9.5 points. Junior Carly Tower had a .583 hitting percentage, freshman Annemarie Horn was first with 22 assists, and classmate Nicole Liddle led with 11 digs.

"We played a little bit better tonight," head coach Gilad Doron said, "but we definitely need to improve our blocking if we want to win on the road next week. It was good to see Annemarie play well; she set very consistently and efficiently. Nicole had a solid game, and Carly and Fran were great offensively, but we need more blocking.

"We have a week to prepare and hopefully we will have a better showing," Doron continued. "Overall, I'm happy we got the win over Penn; they've been tough to beat and they are always scrappy. We had to push at the end, but I'm glad we got the win."

There were 13 ties and four lead changes in a close first set. Dartmouth enjoyed a 3-0 lead at the beginning following two Penn errors and an ace by Horn, but the Quakers quickly got in the game, pulling ahead following four straight points (10-7). The teams stayed within a point of each other until kills by Liddle and sophomore Elise Petit gave the Green a slight edge (23-20). The visitors did not back down, however, pulling within one, but one more Petit point gave the set to Dartmouth (25-23).

The Green started set two well and soon had a 4-1 lead. Dartmouth remained comfortably ahead, leaving as many as five points between it and Penn, before the Quakers scored five in a row to tie things up at 18-18. Four ties later and the visitors were sitting one point ahead (22-21), but kills by Tower and Liddle and a Penn error gave the Big Green another victory (25-22).

The Quakers controlled the start of the third set, winning the first five points, and it was not until halfway through the that the Green had caught up. With just one point separating them (20-19), a kill by junior Abby Kott, an ace by freshman Bella Hedley and a Penn error gave Dartmouth some breathing room. The Quakers did manage to get within two again, but one more Meldrum kill ended the match (25-22).

Dartmouth will be on the road for three in a row, starting with Yale and Brown next weekend before heading to Harvard the Friday after.