Women's Volleyball To Open Title Defense Versus Dartmouth

Just over a year ago, the Harvard women’s volleyball team defeated Cornell in the Malkin Athletic Center to the second Ivy League title in program history and the first in 10 years. On Friday, this year’s team begins the hunt for another championship.

The Crimson’s (4-6) Ivy League campaign kicks off on Friday when Dartmouth (3-6) travels to Cambridge for both squads’ conference openers.

Although the Big Green was not a challenger for the Ancient Eight title last year, finishing sixth in the league, the Hanover squad did hand last year’s Harvard squad one of only two conferences losses.

This year, Dartmouth comes into the matchup having played one of the same opponents as Harvard and fared similarly. Both the Crimson and the Big Green prevailed over Connecticut, 3-1.

Senior setter Kayden Cook has been instrumental in Dartmouth’s victories, having been named MVP of the Dartmouth Tournament in early September. Senior outside hitter Allison Brady has also proved herself to be a valuable member of the Big Green, as her game-winning kill against UConn was voted one of the Ivy League’s top five plays of the week.

Harvard has had a somewhat rocky start to the season, and currently sits at 4-6 after a string of games against strong non-league opponents. Following a season-opening win against Rutgers, the Crimson fell into a five-game losing streak.

Harvard then rebounded with a series of wins over non-conference rivals. The team was unable to carry this momentum into the beginning of Ivy League play, though, as the Cambridge squad’s win streak was snapped by a 3-2 loss to Boston College.

The team is nonetheless confident as the league season begins.

“We had an amazing preseason in the respect that we got to play against some of the top teams in the nation,” co-captain Caroline Holte said. “That gave us a confidence boost, going into Ivy League play knowing that we can challenge those types of teams of high calibers.”

Despite the challenges faced by the Crimson early in the season, certain players have stood out and will play key roles during the conference slate.

Notable among these standouts is junior setter Corinne Bain, who has garnered Ivy League Player of the Week honors three times in a row to start off the season–the first Ancient Eight athlete to do so since 2010. Sophomore outside hitter Paige Kebe has also played well and has already totaled a team-high 103 kills on the season.

The team has also looked to new players such as freshman middle blocker Christina Cornelius to play breakout roles. The rookie has put in significant playing time and may be called upon to fill an important position for a Crimson team.

Unlike last year, the Crimson will enter the season as a favorite to win the Ivy League title. Having captured a share of the conference championship last year, Harvard will be a target for other conference squads who are seeking to prevent Harvard from achieving the first repeat Ivy championship in program history.

“We’re looking at every Ivy match as a challenge this year since we have a target on our backs, which isn’t what we’re used to,” Kebe said. “Having won the Ivy last year, we talk about having a respect for each opponent that we play, since we know that any team can take your match. We’re being cautious but also going in very confident.”

Harvard’s accomplishment of winning the league last year was somewhat dampened by having to share the title with Yale. To compound the issue, the Bulldogs went on to beat the Crimson in a playoff game to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament.

The qualified nature of last year’s title remains in the forefront of the minds of the returning players. This year, the team has a singular goal: finish the season as the sole champions of the Ivy League.

“I think we have what it takes, and I think we have more,” Holte said. “We don’t just want to repeat, we want to win outright. I think that this team is the most talented group of women that I’ve ever played with. I couldn’t imagine a team that is more ready to take that Ivy League title.”