Dartmouth Drops Five-Set Nailbiter at Fordham

Friday, September 15

New York, N.Y. / Rose Hill Gym

3:30 PM

Dartmouth College

2-5,0-0Ivy League

Fordham

8-1,0-0Atlantic 10

Dartmouth

Fordham

Ellie Blain ’24

Photo by: Scott Serio

Dartmouth Drops Five-Set Nailbiter at Fordham

9/15/2023 9:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Ellie Blain went for a match-high 20 points and led the team with 15 digs

By: Kyle Relf

BRONX, N.Y. — The Dartmouth volleyball team dropped a 3-2 (25-23, 17-25, 25-16, 26-28, 15-12) decision to Fordham Friday afternoon on the opening day of the Rose Hill Classic. The Big Green faced match point twice in the fourth set, but responded to force a fifth.

Dartmouth fell to 2-5 on the season, while Fordham improved to 8-1.

Ellie Blain recorded a match-high 20 points for her highest total since the 2022 season opener against Sacred Heart. The senior racked up 17 kills, two aces and two block assists in addition to her team-high 15 digs. Maddie LaFata turned in an efficient 12-kill effort (.550) and Amelia Gibbs followed with 11 on just 18 swings for a .611 clip. Makenzie Arent and Karen Murphy directed the offense with 28 and 27 assists, respectively.

Fordham was powered by Audrey Brown's 18 kills and .500 hitting percentage, along with Whitney Woodrow's 36 assists. Despite the loss, the Big Green registered a season-high .283 clip to Fordham's .252.

Dartmouth found itself trailing 24-21 in set four, down to match point, but rallied to eventually tie the set at 24-24 after Bomi Ogunlari's kill. Gibbs came through with a crucial kill to deliver a 27-26 advantage and then sealed the set, teaming up with Emma Sinclair for the block that set the stage for a fifth.

Valia Evangeliou's ace tied the fifth set at 12-12, but three straight Fordham points ensued with Nailah Jenkins delivering the crushing kill at match point. Dartmouth's early 5-4 edge was quickly erased by a four-point Rams run and the Big Green never reclaimed the lead.

Jenkins had previously came up big for Fordham in the first set, delivering the game-winning kill to fend off a Dartmouth comeback bid powered by LaFata and Blain. The freshman and senior duo strung together a kill and an ace while facing set point to climb within one, 24-23.

Dartmouth's .458 hitting percentage was the story of set two as the visitors rolled to a 17-11 lead and eventually clinched the game with Ava Roberts' kill. Fordham returned the favor, hitting .423 in the third set, which was the most lopsided of the five. Neither side led by more than three through the entirety of the fourth, and the fifth saw Fordham race to a 10-6 lead before Dartmouth evened the score.

The Big Green are back in action, once again at Fordham's Rose Hill Gym, to face FDU on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 3:30 p.m. Live stats will be available via DartmouthSports.com. Following the weekend's conclusion, Dartmouth is set to begin Ivy League play when Harvard visits Leede Arena on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.