Volleyball Survives Third-Set Thriller, Rolls Past Canisius to Open Season

Friday, September 4

Amherst, N.Y.

6:00 PM

Dartmouth College

1-0,0-0Ivy League

Canisius

0-5,0-0Metro

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Dartmouth	25	20	27	25	3
Canisius	19	25	25	9	1

Volleyball Survives Third-Set Thriller, Rolls Past Canisius to Open Season

9/4/2026 8:35:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Dartmouth women's volleyball team opened the 2026 season with a 3-1 road win over Canisius on Friday night, taking the match 25-19, 20-25, 27-25, 25-9 in Buffalo. The Big Green survived a tense third-set battle before closing the match out in dominant fashion, moving to 1-0 on the year as Canisius falls to 0-5.

Canisius opened the first set hot, finding as high as a six point lead against the Big Green. The deficit did not deter the Big Green as setter Sophia Gagnepain went on a three-point service run, including back-to-back aces, and helped the Big Green build a 15-13 edge. The Big Green never let the Golden Griffins get closer than a point or two the rest of the set, closing it out 25-19. Zori Brown got going early with kills and a service ace during the run.

Canisius flipped the script in the second set, riding Kenslie Warmbrodt's playmaking and kills from Emma Isroff and Julia Lenik to build separation and even the match with a 25-20 win. Dartmouth's attack cooled off some in the set, and a few untimely errors let the Golden Griffins dictate the pace from the service line.

The third set was the defining stretch of the match. Canisius jumped out to as much as a 10-4 lead behind Lenik and Isroff, and it looked like the Golden Griffins might take control of the match. But Dartmouth chipped away, getting kills from Brown and Makasci to tie it at 16, then again at 24 in extras. The two teams traded points deep into the set before Dartmouth finally broke through, closing it out 27-25 to grab a 2-1 lead. Makasci and Riley Imamura were key in the comeback, combining for several kills down the stretch, while Elle McCreery added blocks to slow down the Canisius attack.

Dartmouth carried that momentum straight into the fourth set, dominating from the first serve. After trading points early, the Big Green ripped off a 6-0 run from 9-4 to 15-4, fueled by service aces from Imamura and kills from Brown and Makasci. The Big cruised from there to a 25-9 finish that put an exclamation point on the win.

Brown was the offensive engine for Dartmouth throughout the match, leading everyone on the floor with 14 kills on .333 hitting while also chipping in 14 digs and finishing with 16.0 points. Imamura was right behind her with 11 kills to go with a team-best five block assists, giving Dartmouth production on both sides of the ball. Makasci was the most efficient hitter on the court, putting down eight kills at a .389 clip while also contributing a block and eight digs. Setter Gagnepain ran the offense smoothly, finishing with a team-high 24 assists and just one error. First-year libero Sloan Balsley anchored the back row with a team and personal-best 16 digs in her collegiate debut. Up front, Elle McCreery was a difference-maker with seven total blocks, part of a total of 14 blocks. Altogether, the Big Green hit .261 as a team with 12 service aces, a well-rounded showing that set the tone for the season opener.

The Big Green will continue their opening weekend in Western New York tomorrow, Saturday Sept. 5, as they take on Buffalo.