Volleyball Returns Home to Host Penn, Princeton

Match 16: Penn (10-5, 2-3 Ivy) at Dartmouth (6-9, 0-5 Ivy) – Friday, Oct. 16, 6 p.m., Leede Arena, Hanover, N.H. — Cancer Awareness Game

Match 17: Princeton (5-8, 3-2 Ivy) at Dartmouth (6-9, 0-5 Ivy) – Saturday, Oct. 17, 5 p.m., Leede Arena, Hanover, N.H.

HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth volleyball team is back at Leede Arena this weekend, hosting Penn on Friday for the program's annual Cancer Awareness Game before welcoming Princeton on Saturday.

Last Time Out
Dartmouth has been in the thick of every match during its current five-match stretch without a win, and the numbers tell an encouraging story: the Big Green are actually out-hitting their opponents on the season, .229 to .218, a sign that results should start turning their way. Riley Imamura has been dynamite all year, leading the team with 204.5 points, while Zori Brown has been right there with her at 203.0 points and a team-high 178 kills. Clementine Tebbe has been a revelation at the net, leading the team with 59.0 total blocks despite playing in just 34 sets — one of the most efficient blocking rates in the Ivy League on a per-set basis.

Scouting Penn
The Quakers are 10-5 overall and 2-3 in Ivy League play, having split their last two matches — a five-set win over Brown on Oct. 9 followed by a straight-set loss at Yale on Oct. 10. Penn is hitting .223 as a team against a .174 mark allowed to opponents. Jenna Garner leads the attack with 172 kills and a team-high 196 points, while Zada Sanger (155 kills) and Adell Murray (121 kills, a team-best .375 hitting percentage) add scoring depth. Haley Kerstetter anchors the block with a team-high 58.0 total blocks, and setter Emery Moore runs the offense at 7.75 assists per set. Libero Addison Pollock leads the defense with 304 digs.

Scouting Princeton
The Tigers are 5-8 overall but 3-2 in Ivy play, winners of two of their last three with victories over Columbia and Brown sandwiched around a sweep loss to Yale. Princeton is hitting .233 as a team against a .242 mark allowed. Ava Harrington leads the Tigers with 153.5 points and a team-high 24 service aces, while Erin McNair (129 kills, a team-high 3.36 points per set) and Ashtyn Sims (111 kills) round out the attack. Shelby Burriss is the most efficient hitter on the roster at a .348 clip and also paces the block with 33.0 total blocks. Setter Sydney Draper directs the offense at 9.14 assists per set, and libero Sydney Bold leads the defense with 152 digs.

Players to Watch
Riley Imamura and Zori Brown have been the engines of Dartmouth's offense all season and give the Big Green a formidable one-two punch against any opponent. Elle McCreery has quietly put together one of the most efficient seasons on the roster, hitting .326 while also leading the team in service aces with 18. Clementine Tebbe's emergence at the net — nearly two blocks per set despite limited court time — gives Dartmouth a real difference-maker up front, and a strong showing from her this weekend could be the spark that turns the tide for the Big Green.

Schedules