Volleyball Hosts Harvard, Travels to New Hampshire

MATCH 9
Dartmouth (3-5, 0-0) vs. Harvard (7-2, 0-0 Ivy League)
Date: Friday, Sept. 22 | 7 p.m.
Location: Hanover, N.H. | Leede Arena
All-Time Series: 24-39
Last Meeting: Oct. 21, 2022 (W, 3-0)

MATCH 10
Dartmouth (3-5, 0-0) vs. New Hampshire (8-5, 0-0 America East)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 23 | 6 p.m.
Location: Durham, N.H. | Lundholm Gymnasium
All-Time Series: 20-13
Last Meeting: Oct. 26, 2019 (W, 3-1)

BLAIN'S BRILLIANT WEEKEND
Ellie Blain, a 2022 All-Ivy Second Team honoree, returned to form with a season-high 17 kills against Fordham and followed that up with 11 kills on a .429 hitting percentage in a three-set win over FDU. Blain led the Big Green in digs in both of those matches with a season-high 15 against Fordham and 11 against FDU. Blain had two double-doubles last season as a junior and already has a pair to her credit this season in just 19 sets.

HITTING PERCENTAGE PROWESS
Freshman Maddie LaFata went for an efficient 12 kills at a .550 clip against Fordham, who entered the match ranking 32nd in opponent hitting percentage. The better news? She was only one of two Big Green players to rack up double-digit kills and hit better than .500. Amelia Gibbs had 11 and hit .611 in the five-set loss. LaFata's performance against Fordham was the fourth-best hitting percentage for any player in the Ivy League this season with a minimum of 12 kills. Gibbs currently has the third-highest hitting percentage in the Ancient Eight (.363).

IVY LEAGUE OPENER
Dartmouth looks to defeat Harvard for a third straight time on Friday evening. Ellie Blain was a catalyst in last year's Ivy League opener in Cambridge with 14 kills and three aces, and Emma Engstrom racked up a season-high 23 digs. Blain was a menace to the Crimson again in Hanover, going for a match-high 12 kills with a .571 percentage in the three-set win.

CRIMSON PLAYER TO WATCH
Setter Ashley Wang has been a key part of Harvard's 7-2 start, ranking second in the nation in aces per set (0.76). Wang is one of two players across Division I with four triple-doubles this season. Her nine aces against Holy Cross are the most in a single match for any player in the country this season.

SCOUTING NEW HAMPSHIRE
Off to an 8-5 start, the Wildcats feature excellent libero play from Avery LePore, who ranks 11th in the nation in digs per set (5.30). New Hampshire currently leads the America East in opponent hitting percentage (.172). The Wildcats have lost three of their last four, including a 3-0 defeat to nationally ranked Kansas, last weekend.

LOOKING AHEAD
Dartmouth travels to Cornell (Friday, Sept. 29) and Columbia (Saturday, Sept. 30) for its first road Ivy League action of the season.

Schedules