Big Green Fall In Ivy Opener To Harvard

Sunday, September 28

Hanover, N.H.

4:00 PM

Dartmouth College

Harvard

9/28/2025 7:09:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

By: Dan Richeal

HANOVER, N.H.—The Dartmouth volleyball team fell in three sets to Harvard in its Ivy League opener on Sunday evening at Leede Arena.

Set One (L, 25-22)

The Crimson stormed out of the gates as they took the first five points of the match. The Big Green responded by cutting the lead to just one following back-to-back Sophia Gagnepain aces to make it 13-12 Harvard. After the run from the Big Green, the Crimson made it an 18-12 lead which forced a Dartmouth timeout. Out of the timeout, the Big Green cut the lead to just two at 20-18 which led to a Harvard timeout. Following the timeout, the Big Green battled but fell 25-22 to open the match.

Maddie LaFata came out swinging to open the match with five kills on 11 attempts. Kauany Gutz had three kills while Elle McCreery had two, the trio of Molly Power, Zori Brown, and Sophia Gagnepain each had a kill. Dartmouth tallied five service aces in the opening set with both Gagnepain and Gutz having two each, McCreery tallied the other. Gagnepain notched six digs in the set as five different Big Green players had a dig.

Set Two (L, 25-17)

The Big Green took the first point of the second set, but Harvard took five of the next six to take an early 5-2 lead which was followed but a Dartmouth timeout. The timeout didn't phase the Crimson as they built their lead to 17-10 which forced a second Dartmouth timeout. Out of the timeout, the teams traded points with each team going on mini runs but Harvard held the lead and won the set 25-17.

Both LaFata and Power had three kills in the second set while Gutz and Irmak Makasci each had a pair of kills. Gagnepain tallied eight assists along with five digs, both led the Big Green in the set. Emma Symon tallied a kill along with a solo block in the set.

Set Three (L, 25-11)

Harvard started the set with an early 4-0 lead and the Big Green were not able to mount a comeback. At the media timeout, the Crimson led 15-4. The Big Green took seven of the next 12 points to make it 20-1, but Harvard took the next five points to win the match.

Ava Roberts accounted for three of Dartmouth's seven kills in the third set while Brown had two, Symon and Power each had one. Symon also had a pair of block assists as Brown and Roberts each had one block assist. EllaMae Fitzgerald had five digs and seven receptions to lead the Big Green in the set.

Dartmouth had nine different players register a kill on Sunday with LaFata leading the way with eight, Gutz and Power each had five for the Big Green. Gagnepain tallied her second straight double double as she had 18 assists and 13 digs while also having a pair of service aces.

The Big Green head back on the road for a trip to New York. Dartmouth travels to New York City on Friday, Oct. 3 to take on Columbia before traveling east to Cornell to take on the Big Red on Saturday, Oct. 4.