Sophomore Summer: Volleyball's Elise Petit

Throughout the summer, DartmouthSports.com will be focusing on members of the Class of 2021 who are currently in their "Sophomore Summers" presented by Cape Air.

This installment focuses on Elise Petit, a Redmond, Washington, native and a member of the Big Green volleyball team.

DartmouthSports.com: What have you been doing during your sophomore summer?
Elise Petit: My summer has been packed! I'm taking classes, playing volleyball, working camps and working as fundraising chair for my sorority. I've also been enjoying the nice weather with my friends — swimming in the river, lying on the Green and exploring the Upper Valley.

DS: What is your favorite place on campus?
EP: My favorite place on campus is Occom pond. The road around it is perfect for running or walking on a nice day, and in the winter the DOC rents ice skates to use on the pond (plus it hosts the polar plunge during winter carnival!). It's right in Dartmouth's backyard, but is far enough away from the center of campus to be quiet and peaceful.

DS: What was it in the recruiting process that sold you on Dartmouth?
EP: Dartmouth was one of the first schools to start recruiting me my sophomore year of high school. The chance to study at an Ivy League institution and play Division I volleyball was exciting, but I wasn't set on one school since other Ivies that boasted the same opportunity were also recruiting me. I visited five Ivies in five days the summer after my sophomore year, and while the others all blurred together, Dartmouth's campus and culture felt so different than the rest that it immediately stood out. The sense of community here and love for the Big Green is simply unparalleled. The adoration that anyone affiliated with Dartmouth has for their institution ultimately sold me on not only the school and the volleyball program, but every tiny quirky detail that makes up the Dartmouth experience.

DS: If you could swap places with one teammate, who would it be and why?
EP: I would swap with any of our setters (Corinne Cox, Maddy Schoenberger and Annemarie Horn). Being a setter is the volleyball equivalent of being a quarterback. They run the show and do it all: call and run the offense, play defense, block, and serve as an emotional leader on the court. Calling plays during each rally and putting up good sets come with immense pressure, and I think as a hitter it's easy to forget that setters aren't machines and can't always give a perfect set. Being a setter for a day would help me appreciate how challenging their position is both physically and mentally.

DS: If you could play another sport at Dartmouth, what would it be and why?
EP: I would be on the equestrian team. In the spring, our team got to go see the equestrian facilities, meet their team and ride their horses. It was such a blast and I left wishing I could join the team. I grew up riding dressage and have three horses: Ruby, Tally and Trey. I ended up choosing to pursue volleyball, but when I go home I still love to hit the trails and spend time at the barn. Riding is such a unique sport because it involves working together with another animal with a mind of its own, to whom you can't communicate directly. It tests your awareness, commitment and patience in addition to being surprisingly physically demanding. Plus, taking care of the horses is extremely hard work. It was definitely one of the most frustrating sports I've ever participated in, but it was also by far the most rewarding and I really miss it!

DS: Other than your parents, who has had the greatest influence on your life?
EP: My former club coach Tom Murphy has had the biggest influence on my life. I was lucky to have a club career full of great coaches who each taught me a lot, but I credit Murph with steering me to the path that got me where I am today. As a 14-year old new to volleyball, he took a chance on me and opened the door to the sport I've come to love so much. He spent countless hours in the gym with me one-on-one, taught me how to be a student of the game, advocated for me during the recruiting process, encouraged me to fail over and over (and over and over and over) again so I could grow, and was always the first to celebrate my successes. I can confidently say he completely changed the trajectory of my life, and that I truly would not be the player, student or person I am today without his influence.

DS: What has been your best on-field memory thus far in your Dartmouth career?
EP: My best memory on the court was last season during our first conference match against Harvard. We came up with a big win, going to extra points in the fifth set after a really hard-fought match which set the tone for the season and for our identity as a team. Personally, I had a rough first set and was pulled during the second set, but one of our outsides got hurt and I had to step up and come back into the game. It took a few points to get over how I played earlier and get in the game mentally, but I'm proud of myself for getting out of my head and stepping up and playing for my team. After the game my teammate who was injured told me she was proud of the way I played. The fact that she made a point to tell me that even though she was still in a lot of pain and upset about being hurt meant so much to me and is one of my best memories of my career.

DS: How is Hanover different or similar to where you grew up?
EP: I was born in Toronto but grew up in a suburb of Seattle, and I would say Hanover is like a combination of the two. The area feels really similar to home—lots of forest and wilderness—but the vibe here is definitely very east coast. I miss not being super close to a city or the water, but I love the town of Hanover. It's very quaint and has pretty much everything you need within walking distance of your dorm. It also has real seasons, something we don't get often in Washington.

DS: What show do you binge watch?
EP: I recently finished watching Dynasty and am impatiently waiting for the next season. It's a remake of the 80s soap opera, and it's just as glitzy, dark, and dramatic. I started watching on a whim one night and was hooked. I finished both seasons in a week.

DS: What would be your best advice to your 15-year-old self?
EP: Trust yourself. Our coach (Gilad Doron) told me once, "Stop waiting for someone to tell you you're a good player. You are a good player. Trust yourself to be good." It struck me so much that I remember what he said word-for-word. It's kind of along the same lines as the cliché "believe in yourself," but for some reason it carries different weight for me. I think it's more about knowing that you've put in the work, so you can allow yourself to be confident in your abilities. Once I started trusting myself to make plays, it felt more natural to play aggressively and I really elevated my game. Seeing that you trust yourself also makes it easier for your teammates and coaches to trust you. One other piece of advice I would give myself is to become a student of the game sooner. Physically playing volleyball only makes up about half of the time I actually spend on my sport; the other half is watching film, talking to my coaches, and learning about the game. Once I committed myself to watching film every day, reading articles on technique and strategy and leadership, and looking like an idiot practicing footwork in my living room, it was like I unlocked this new level and the game slowed way down. Volleyball got easier. I started making plays that I never could have made just a month prior. I look back and wonder how good I would be if I'd started studying volleyball sooner.

Schedules

Players Mentioned

Corinne Cox

Annemarie Horn

Elise Petit

Maddy Schoenberger

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Schedules

Completed Event: Women's Volleyball at Yale on October 17, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 3

Completed Event: Women's Volleyball at Brown on October 18, 2025 , Loss , 0, to, 3

Completed Event: Women's Volleyball at Harvard on October 25, 2025 , Loss , 1, to, 3

Upcoming Event: Women's Volleyball versus Cornell on October 31, 2025 at 6:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Volleyball versus Columbia on November 1, 2025 at 5:00 PM

Upcoming Event: Women's Volleyball versus Brown on November 7, 2025 at 6:00 PM