Dartmouth Volleyball Sweeps Harvard in First Ivy Match of the Year

Friday, September 21

Cambridge, Mass.

7:30 p.m.

Dartmouth College

Harvard

Dartmouth Volleyball Sweeps Harvard in First Ivy Match of the Year

9/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

By: Dartmouth

Boxscore

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Dartmouth women's volleyball team opened its 2007 Ivy schedule with a three-game sweep of Harvard (3-6, 0-1) on Friday night at Lavietes Pavilion on Harvard's campus. The Big Green (6-2, 1-0) were led by three players in double-figure kills while two notched double-double games. Game scores were 30-22, 30-22 and 30-23.

"I am so happy," said head coach Ann Marie Larese. "This was a huge win for us. This sets up a classic matchup for next weekend but it also gives us all sorts of confidence going into the main part of our Ivy schedule. I think this win lets our team know that they can accomplish the goals they set for themselves at the beginning of the season."

The Big Green used nine aces and a .324 hitting percentage from Sandy Barbut (Los Angeles, Calif.) to win its second match in a row and sixth in seven games. Barbut also led her team in kills with 14 while Morgan Covington (Austin, Texas) added 11 and Jess Thomas (Tampa, Fla.) notched a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Katie Hirsch (Austin, Texas) also recorded a double-double with 36 assists and 11 digs while defensive specialist Megan MacGregor (Carlsbad, Calif.) was also in double-digits with 10 digs.

"The games were close in the beginning but our service game came up in the middle of each contest," Larese said. "We made some timely kills and our serves got us some big points. Sandy was hot tonight while Morgan and Jess played very steady, which they've been doing all year."

Dartmouth started game one off with a 5-0 run and after errors on both sides made it a 7-2 lead. Three kills from the Crimson along with three Dartmouth errors allowed Harvard to pull within 9-8 and then a side out on each side made it 10-9. Harvard hung around and tied it at 16-16 before two more kills put the home team up 18-16. The Big Green tied the score at 19 on a MacGregor kill and went on to win the next seven points en route to a 26-19 advantage.Three Harvard errors set up game point for Dartmouth, but back-to-back Crimson kills pulled Harvard to within 29-22. MacGregor finished the game off for the Big Green getting the kill to earn the 30-22 win.

The Big Green went on a 3-0 run to start to start the second game, but a kill and service ace from the Crimson cut the lead to 3-2. Harvard seemed to keep stride with Dartmouth for awhile but the Big Green was able to hold onto the lead. After a Harvard timeout, the Crimson rattled off four points and tied the game at 10-10. Harvard and Dartmouth alternated side outs until back-to-back attack errors at 17-17 gave Dartmouth a two-point lead. The Big Green outscored Harvard 10-2 over the next 12 points to take 27-19 advantage. Two Babut kills, another from Thomas and a Harvard error gave Dartmouth the 30-22 victory and a 2-0 lead in the match.

The Big Green and the Crimson started the third came off close but Harvard still found itself in a 10-6 hole. A Crimson timeout, a Dartmouth attack error and a Harvard kill and service ace allowed the Crimson to pull to within 10-8. The Big Green went on a 9-1 run behind serving from Frances Samolowicz (St. Charles, Ill.) and Hirsch. Dartmouth opened a 28-17 lead before Harvard won the next point and then scored at 29-18 to hold off match point. Several blocks and a kill allowed the Crimson to make it 29-22. An error on Dartmouth gave Harvard another point, but Barbut had the final word as an attack dropped on Harvard's side to make it 30-23.

Dartmouth had 47 kills compared to Harvard's 42 and out hit the Crimson, .215-.135. Harvard held a 56-53 advantage in digs and had 12 total blocks compared to Dartmouth's 11.

The Big Green continues at the Crimson Classic with two matches tomorrow. Dartmouth takes on the New Jersey Institute of Technology at 1:00 p.m. before matching up with Hartford at 3:30.