Volleyball Travels to Harvard for Ivy League Opener

MATCH 11
Dartmouth vs. Harvard (1-7)
Date: Saturday, September 24, 2022 | 5 p.m.
Location: Cambridge, Mass. | Malkin Athletic Center
All-Time Series: 22-39
Last Meeting: 10/23/21 – L, 3-2

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THIS WEEKEND
After a successful nonconference slate, Dartmouth takes its 8-2 record to Harvard for the Ivy League opener. The Big Green are looking to avenge a pair of five-set losses they suffered at the hands of the Crimson in 2021.

LOOKING BACK
Dartmouth went 2-1 during the Seton Hall Classic with the lone loss coming to the hosts out of the Big East. The Big Green cruised to a three-set win over NJIT Friday afternoon before falling to Seton Hall. The Big Green dropped the first two sets to the Pirates, claimed the third to become the only team at the tournament to win one against the hosts, then had the Pirates on the ropes in the fourth. Escaping the possibility of a fifth set against a red-hot Dartmouth squad, Seton Hall used an 11-1 run to clinch the victory. Dartmouth quickly regrouped after the loss and defeated Central Connecticut State, winning each of the three sets by at least 10 points.

OGUNLARI'S CAREER WEEKEND
Bomi Ogunlari has consistently been a key contributor for the Big Green, but stepped up in a big way during the Seton Hall Classic to earn All-Tournament honors. She tallied 10 kills on just 13 attacks without an error against NJIT, marking the fifth-best single-match hitting percentage in program history (minimum of 10 attacks) at .769. She went on to lead Dartmouth with nine kills against Seton Hall while still sporting an impressive .333 percentage. Capping her impactful weekend, the junior recorded six blocks against Central Connecticut State (1S, 5A), just short of her career-high of seven.

STINGY DEFENSE
Dartmouth ranks 23rd in the country and first in the Ivy League in opponent hitting percentage at .150, while Harvard is last in the Ancient Eight with a .261 mark. Don't write off the Crimson's defensive efforts, though. They played a grueling nonconference schedule with matches against Power Five opponents like Georgia, who ranks 16th nationally in hitting percentage. They also faced Boston College, who ranks 26th in the category. The Big Green have held opponents under a .100 hitting percentage four times this season, a feat they only achieved once last season.

ACES APLENTY
Serving is perhaps where Dartmouth shines brightest among the Ivy League and even nationally. The Big Green are tied with Yale at 11th in the country with 2.15 aces per set. Freshman Ava Roberts, who ranks 32nd in the nation, leads that charge with 0.54 aces per set - on pace for second best mark in program history. Makenzie Arent served a career-high five aces in Dartmouth's second match against Harvard last season. The Crimson currently allow the most service aces of any Ivy League team at 2.10 per set.

SCOUTING HARVARD
Harvard and Dartmouth both went 7-7 in the Ivy League last year and ranked fourth and fifth respectively in the 2022 preseason poll. Junior Katie Vorhies leads the team offensively with 2.94 points per set and 2.88 kills per set. Junior Ariana White looks to be one of the premier blockers across the Ancient Eight as she ranks fourth in the league with 1.06 blocks per set. Sophomore libero Lindsey Zhang paces the Harvard defense with 2.58 digs per set.

WHAT'S AHEAD
Dartmouth returns home to face Princeton Friday, Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. and later squares off with Penn on ESPNU Sunday, Oct. 2 at 12:30 p.m.

Schedules