Boston College Volleyball left Hanover with a split in momentum and a loss on the board Sunday, falling to Dartmouth in four sets, 20-25, 14-25, 25-17, 20-25, at Leede Arena to close out the Dartmouth Invitational.
Audrey Ross led the way for the Eagles with a match-high 17 kills, and she paired that with six digs and four total blocks. Sam Hoppes added 12 kills while hitting .304, and Reese Dunkle was especially efficient with five kills on .714 hitting and four blocks. Brooklyn Yelland anchored the back row with a match-high 21 digs, Lucie Vesela finished with a team-high 15 assists and seven digs, and Ava McBride and Lucy Mott chipped in eight assists apiece.
Boston College had to chase early in the first set after Ross opened with a kill, only for Dartmouth to answer with a run fueled by three service aces. The Eagles kept clawing back through kills from Sofija Marjanovic, Hoppes, and Ross, and Ross tied it at 20-20 with another kill. Dartmouth, though, slammed the door with a 5-0 finish to take the set 25-20.
The second set followed a similar script. Dartmouth built the early edge, then widened it to 18-10 midway through the frame. Ross and Hoppes tried to steady BC’s offense, but the Big Green kept control and took the set 25-14 to move ahead 2-0.
Boston College answered in the third and looked like a different team. Naomi Watson started the set with a kill, then teamed with Ross on a block as the Eagles jumped out 3-0.
A 5-0 run, highlighted by a Ross ace and kills from Hoppes and Watson, pushed the lead to 10-4. From there, BC stayed in charge with help from Isabelle Poehlein and Dunkle, and the Eagles finished the set 25-17.
The fourth set turned into a tug-of-war, with seven ties through the middle stretch. But tied 14-14, Dartmouth put together the decisive burst, ripping off an 8-2 run to grab a 22-16 edge. Boston College made one last push, saving three match points on kills from Watson and Ross and a solo block by Ross to cut it to 20-24, but Dartmouth closed it out 25-20.
Boston College now turns to ACC play next weekend. The Eagles host Notre Dame on Friday, September 25, at 1 p.m., then welcome #3 Louisville on Sunday, September 27, at 1 p.m. for Alumni Day.
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