Volleyball Hosts Dartmouth Invitational for Home Opener

Match One: Binghamton (6-3) at Dartmouth (3-3) – Friday, Sept. 18, 3 p.m., Leede Arena, Hanover, N.H.
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Match Two: Quinnipiac (1-7) at Dartmouth (3-3) – Saturday, Sept. 19, 6 p.m., Leede Arena, Hanover, N.H.
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Match Three: Boston College (7-1) at Dartmouth (3-3) – Sunday, Sept. 20, 3 p.m., Leede Arena, Hanover, N.H.
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HANOVER, N.H. – The Dartmouth volleyball team returns home to Leede Arena this weekend to host the Dartmouth Invitational, welcoming Binghamton, Quinnipiac and Boston College for three matches over three days.

Last Time Out
The Big Green went 1-2 at the Ellis Rowland Memorial Tournament in Hamilton, N.Y., last weekend, opening with a four-set win over UAlbany before falling to Northeastern in four and Colgate in three tight sets, the last two decided by a combined four points. Dartmouth now sits at 3-3 on the season, hitting .235 as a team against a .189 mark allowed to opponents, and leads its six opponents this season with 61 total blocks.

Scouting Binghamton
The Bearcats arrive in Hanover on a six-match winning streak and a 6-3 record overall, having taken down Temple, Cornell and New Haven in their last three outings. Binghamton is a heavy blocking team, out-blocking opponents 89.0-52.5 on the season, led by Hannah Olmstead's 34 total blocks and Francesca Pierdonati's 32. Viktoria Dimitrova has been the Bearcats' offensive engine with 112 kills and a team-high 3.29 kills per set, while Maya Coblentz-Brown (75 kills, .277 hitting percentage) and Magi Milicevic (67 kills) round out the attack. Setter Regan Kadel is distributing at 7.16 assists per set, and libero Celeste Ocampo leads the defense with 161 digs.

Scouting Quinnipiac
The Bobcats have struggled to a 1-7 start, their lone win coming in a sweep of NJIT on Sept. 5, and enter the weekend having dropped three straight, including back-to-back five-set losses to Penn and Rhode Island. Quinnipiac is hitting just .135 as a team while allowing opponents to hit .247, and has been out-blocked 107.0-43.0 on the season. Giulia Ragusa leads the offense with 75 kills and a team-high 83 points, with Sahra Ozbiltekin (62 kills) and Sila Yildiz (43 kills) also contributing. The Bobcats split time at setter between Klara Olszewska (161 assists, 8.05 A/S) and Sophia Gisslen (119 assists, 7.93 A/S).

Scouting Boston College
The Eagles are the class of the field at 7-1, with their only loss coming against Vanderbilt on Sept. 9. Boston College is hitting an eye-catching .274 as a team while holding opponents to .134, a gap reflected in Audrey Ross's 114 kills, 4.38 kills-per-set average and team-high 132 points. Sam Hoppes (66 kills, .359 pct) and Reese Dunkle (33 kills, .426 pct) give the Eagles multiple efficient options, while Naomi Watson anchors the block with 30 total blocks. Boston College also splits setting duties, between Lucie Vesela (93 assists) and Lucy Mott (92 assists), and libero Brooklyn Yelland leads the defense with 83 digs and a team-high 14 aces.

Players to Watch
Riley Imamura has been Dartmouth's most productive hitter through six matches, leading the team with 69 kills and a 3.00 kills-per-set average, highlighted by a career-best 16-kill, 19-point performance in the regular-season finale against Canisius. Zori Brown isn't far behind with 63 kills and a team-high 76.5 points. Up front, Elle McCreery has paced Dartmouth's blocking with 30 total blocks and a 1.30 blocks-per-set average, while Raeli Smith has added a team-high 10 aces to go with 17 total blocks.
Setter Sophia Gagnepain continues to run the Big Green offense at a 4.96 assists-per-set clip, and freshman Jaida Cekic has emerged as a weapon off the bench, posting career highs in a recent outing against Northeastern. Freshman Audrey Kalorin has also been efficient in a hybrid role, hitting .357 with 32 assists, and Sloan Balsley leads the back row with 52 digs.

Schedules