Big Green Fight, but Fall to Lions

Friday, September 28

New York, N.Y.

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

5-7, 1-1Ivy

Columbia

7-5, 1-1Ivy

Dartmouth

Columbia

Junior Corinne Cox

Photo by: Doug Austin

9/28/2018 9:08:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Charlotte Brackett

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Sophomore Mallen Bischoff had a season-high 16 kills and a career-high 20 points in Dartmouth volleyball's 3-1 loss to Columbia on Friday (23-25, 25-23, 20-25, 18-25). The Big Green dipped to 5-7 and 1-1 in Ivy League play, while the Lions improved to 7-5 and 1-1.

Bischoff also had two aces, eight digs and four total blocks to go along with her kills. Junior Corinne Cox was first with 19 assists, freshman Bella Hedley led with 13 digs and classmate Francesca Meldrum led the team with six total blocks.

"This was a tough loss tonight," head coach Gilad Doron said. "We battled hard, but fell short at the end. Mallen, Elise and Francesca played well, but it was not enough to match Columbia."

Kills by sophomore Elise Petit and junior Carly Tower, and an ace by Bischoff allowed Dartmouth to take a 4-1 lead in the opening set, but six straight points by the Lions gave the advantage to the home team (7-4). The teams went back and forth until Dartmouth pulled ahead, only to have the Lions take a five-point lead to sit at set point (24-19). Kills by Cox and a pair of Columbia errors made it a one-point set (24-23), but one final kill for the Lions ended the set (25-23).

There were five ties to start the second set. With the score at 10-10, six points off kills by Petit and Meldrum and four Columbia errors put Dartmouth in front, 16-13. A 3-1 Big Green run gave them a five-point lead, but the Lions fought to get within one (20-19). Trailing, 23-22, Dartmouth won its first set with three straight points off two Columbia errors and a Meldrum kill (25-23).

The Lions were in control to start set three, jumping out to a 6-3 lead, but kills by Meldrum, Bischoff and junior Tola Akinwumi, and a pair of Columbia errors gave the Big Green an 8-7 edge. The teams traded points, tying nine times until six straight points for the Lions put them ahead, 23-18. Bischoff and Petit had one more kill each before Columbia make it a 2-1 match (25-20).

Columbia came out very strong in the fourth and soon had an 11-3 advantage, but Dartmouth got back in the game with four in a row to make it an 11-7 set. Although the Lions remained ahead, the Green started to slowly close the gap, making it a five-point set following kills by Bischoff, Meldrum and Petit (19-14). Dartmouth kept fighting, but a 6-4 run for the Lions ended the match (25-18).

The Big Green will face Cornell at 5 p.m. on Saturday.