Dartmouth Fends Off Columbia in Four-Set Triumph

Friday, October 14

New York, N.Y. / Levien Gymnasium

7:00 PM

Dartmouth College

11-5,3-3Ivy League

Columbia

4-11,1-5Ivy League

Dartmouth

Columbia

Amelia Gibbs ’24

Photo by: Gil Talbot

Dartmouth Fends Off Columbia in Four-Set Triumph

10/14/2022 9:50:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

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The Big Green edged the Lions in the fourth set to improve to 3-3 in the Ivy League

By: Kyle Relf

NEW YORK — The Dartmouth volleyball team remained unbeaten on the road in Ivy League play Friday night in New York with a four-set victory over Columbia.

The Big Green, still the only team in the Ancient Eight that has yet to play a five-set match, claimed the first two sets before dropping the third, but bounced back with a strong finish in the fourth to hold off the Lions.

"Tonight was a total team effort," said head coach Gilad Doron. "Our blocking at times looked very solid. Our serve and pass game helped us run an efficient offense, and the setters did a great job distributing the ball. Columbia pushed us in the third and fourth sets, but our team responded well and we hope to build on it for tomorrow."

Dartmouth (11-5, 3-3) notched a season-high 12 blocks last time out against Yale only to outdo that total with 14 Friday evening. Bomi Ogunlari led that season-best effort with eight. The junior was also among the offensive catalysts with eight kills on a .667 clip. Karen Murphy recorded three service aces as Dartmouth racked up double-digit aces for a fourth time this season.

The Big Green never trailed in the opener as they won the first set for a fourth consecutive match, 25-16. Dartmouth picked up the first four points following Makenzie Arent's ace and fended off Columbia's ensuing three-point run. Three consecutive kills, two of which came off the swing of Amelia Gibbs, gave Dartmouth full control. A late kill by Grace Wiczek and Ellie Blain's ace kept the Lions (4-11, 1-5) from mounting a comeback, and it was Columbia's attack error at game point that finalized the set.

Dartmouth turned the tides in the second set with Ogunlari's back-to-back kills to tie and take the lead, 8-7. Service aces were a difference maker in the 25-18 triumph and helped lead Dartmouth past Columbia despite the Lions' .375 hitting percentage. Two of the Big Green's six aces served as the final points of the set as Murphy applied the stamp from the service line.

A late push by Dartmouth fell short as Columbia was able to stay alive with a 25-20 victory in the third set. Piper Stevens delivered a kill to tie the set eight-all, but the Lions responded with two separate five-point runs to take control. Facing set point at 24-17, Dartmouth benefited from three errors and brought the score within four points, but a setting error did in the Big Green.

Dartmouth's mid-set charge in the fourth proved key as Columbia led 7-6 early, but eight of the next nine points were in the Big Green's favor. Stevens' kill later in the set put Dartmouth back on track with a four-point advantage. Both sides struggled to find successful swings down the stretch, but Blain's back-to-back kills sealed a 25-22 win for the visitors.

Dartmouth wraps up the weekend in the Empire State Saturday against Cornell.

NOTES: With a team-high 19 assists, Arent passed Alissa Santa Maria '13 for seventh-place in program history in career assists with a total of 1,449.