HANOVER, N.H. – Dartmouth volleyball defeated Ivy League foe Princeton for just the third time in program history – the first being on Oct. 18, 2013 – by a score of 3-1 (20-25, 27-25, 25-14, 25-17), fighting back after a dropped first set to win the remaining three inside Leede Arena on Saturday evening.

The Big Green improved to 5-7 and are now 2-1 in league play, while the Tigers fell to 5-7 and are winless in conference action with an 0-3 mark. 

Senior Paige Caridi had a double-double with 12 kills and 12 digs, while junior Emily Astarita led both Ancient Eight programs with 13 kills. Freshman Zoe Leonard had 15 digs to lead Dartmouth and junior Stacey Benton had 37 assists.

“I was really proud of how the team came out and rebounded not only after the match last night, but after a shaky first set today,” head coach Erin Lindsey said. “I think we had a good mindset coming into the match, but we’re still not executing at the level we needed to at the beginning of the first set. 

I’m really excited that we were able to make the adjustments and turn things around to get the win.
“I am really pleased with the outside hitters for stepping up and attacking in the third and fourth sets and for allowing for much more balanced offense,” Lindsey continued. “Also, Zoe, Jordan and Paige did exceptional jobs on defense in the back row, which really allowed us to fight for points.”

The visitors took a 4-0 lead in the first and would maintain control for the remainder of the set. Dartmouth got within four points (22-18), but two consecutive errors by the home team gave Princeton what would be its only victory of the day. 

Early in the second, the Tigers held a 9-6 edge before the Green scored six points of their own, interrupted only by a Princeton kill, to take a 12-10 lead. The score remained incredibly close for the entirety of the set until a three-point run by the visitors put them ahead, 22-21. Four ties put the score at 25-25, but two Princeton errors gave Dartmouth the win. 

Dartmouth took a 5-0 lead in the third following a Princeton error, two aces by freshman Sierra Lyle and two Caridi kills. The Big Green remained comfortably ahead until five straight points by the Tigers put them within three (14-11). Nevertheless, Dartmouth was able to counter every point Princeton would score and ended the set with five unanswered points off two Tiger errors, an ace by Benton and a kill by Caridi and senior Allison Brady. 

What started off as a close fourth set soon changed when kills by Brady, Caridi and junior Molly Kornfeind, and an ace by Benton put Dartmouth up, 11-5. The Green got as far as nine points ahead (20-11), but the Tigers closed the gap slightly with two kills and a Dartmouth error to make it a 21-15 set. A kill by Caridi put the home team at match point and a Tiger error ended the match.

“After last night we knew that, to win, we had to go back to being disciplined on our system and that’s exactly what happened today,” Caridi said. “Our execution was better today. Our goal against Princeton was to perfect what we needed to perfect and to have our outside hitters be aggressive and not give them easy balls. Our defense was way better tonight, our middles were great and Kaira Lujan was a beast at the end.”

Next weekend, Dartmouth will host Yale and Brown in Ivy League contests that are both scheduled to start at 5 p.m.