Volleyball takes to the road this weekend

This week the Lions (10-5, 4-1 Ivy) hit the road again as they travel to New England, facing Dartmouth later today and Harvard tomorrow evening.

Dartmouth (10-6, 2-3 Ivy) is currently coming off a huge road win against Brown last weekend, during which the Big Green swept the Bears in three sets. The match against Columbia will be its first match at home in nearly a month, its last being a 3-0 sweep over Delaware State in the final match of the Dartmouth Invitational.

The Lions, who are currently in second place in the Ivy League standings, need a win over Dartmouth and Harvard, both of whom are neck-in-neck in fourth place, to keep pace in the conference and potentially take sole possession of second place in the Ivy League. Currently the Lions share second place with Princeton, but they could move ahead should the Tigers lose to either Yale or Brown this weekend.

“Both teams are always dangerous,” head coach Jon Wilson said. “The good news is we play them one at a time. We are focused on Dartmouth and getting prepared for a hostile crowd and strong home court energy. We will need to bring an aggressive serve and a high level of focus to be successful against Dartmouth. Winning on the road always requires something extra. We are counting on several individuals stepping up to be difference makers in this match.”

Dartmouth, who finished nonconference play with an impressive 8-3 record, has struggled against its Ivy opponents, going 2-3 in the conference. The three losses have included defeats at the hands of other Ivy title contenders Princeton and Yale, as well as Penn.

Harvard (9-6, 2-3 Ivy) has been just as unsuccessful in Ancient Eight play. However, the Crimson has played four straight road games—this weekend will be its first time back in Cambridge since their Sept. 24 loss to Dartmouth. As Wilson said, the Light Blue will have to be prepared for the home crowd in order to come away with a win in Cambridge.

Despite the potential challenges that lie ahead, there seems to be no reason to doubt this volleyball squad.

“Every aspect of the program is improving,” Wilson said. “The players are committed to being their best and becoming more competitive all the time. So practices are better, confidence is up, and the expectation to find a way to win is strong.”