Big Green Pick up First Win of 2018, Defeat Siena in Straight Sets

Friday, September 7

Hanover, N.H.

6:30 PM

Dartmouth College

1-3

Siena

0-7

Siena

Dartmouth

Sophomore Tola Akinwumi

Photo by: Mark Washburn

Big Green Pick up First Win of 2018, Defeat Siena in Straight Sets

9/7/2018 8:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Charlotte Brackett

HANOVER, N.H. – Dartmouth volleyball picked up its first win of the season on Friday by taking down Siena, 3-0 (25-23, 25-16, 25-19). The Big Green improved to 1-3, while the Saints dipped to 0-7.

Freshman Annemarie Horn had her first collegiate double-double, leading the team in with 19 assists, while classmate Francesca Meldrum was first with 10 kills and was tied for first in total blocks (4) with sophomore Tola Akinwumi. Senior Zoe Leonard played very well to end the match with 18 digs.

"I think we played very cohesively tonight," head coach Gilad Doron said. "We were challenged in game one, but our passing and serving was giving us tons of opportunities. We ran the middle well, which helped the outsides and rightsides to score. We blocked and defended particularly well. Zoe had the best game of her senior year; 18 digs is pretty remarkable, and Annemarie did a really good job mixing up the offense. Hopefully, this builds confidence in our future. It was good to get the first win at home, and hopefully we can get two more tomorrow.

The teams were neck and neck to start the first set until a five-point run following three Siena errors and kills by Akinwumi and fellow sophomore Olympia Nagel-Caland gave Dartmouth a 9-4 advantage. Late in the set, the teams had an extremely long rally, sending the ball over the net 18 times and making contact 50 times before Siena won the point. The Green remained ahead until the Saints managed to get within one (24-23), but a badly timed error on their part gave set one to the home team (25-23).

Dartmouth led from start to finish in set two, jumping out to a 4-0 thanks to a pair of Siena errors, a kill by Meldrum and an ace by Horn. The Big Green and the Saints traded points at the end, but Dartmouth always had a comfortable lead, and one last Meldrum kill made it a 2-0 match (25-16).

There were 10 ties in what turned out to be the closest of the three sets. The Green would start to build a one- or two-point lead, only to have the Saints come right back and tie the score up again. Locked at 15-15, Dartmouth outscored Siena, 10-4, to pick up the final win of the night. Freshman Nicole Liddle delivered the final kill to end the match.

Dartmouth will be back in action on Saturday when it hosts Lafayette (1 p.m.) and Boston College (6:30 p.m.).