HANOVER, N.H. — The Cornell women's volleyball team went the distance in a heated Ivy League battle Friday night but came up just short, falling to Dartmouth in five sets (22–25, 17–25, 25–20, 25–14, 17–19) at Leede Arena.

The Big Red showed plenty of grit after dropping the opening two frames, rallying behind a balanced offense and a late serving surge to force a decisive fifth set before narrowly missing the comeback.

Set 1: Early Errors Cost Momentum

Cornell started strong but couldn't sustain rhythm as service errors and defensive miscues opened the door for Dartmouth's 25–22 win. The Big Red nearly matched the Big Green in kills (12–11) but were undone by eight attack errors. Eliza Konvicka and Jaida Sione led the early push on the outside, while Mackenzie Parsons added timely kills through the middle.

Set 2: Big Green Builds Lead

The second frame mirrored the first, with Cornell unable to find consistency from the service line. Despite strong setting from Mikayla Gray and Sarita Pomar, the Big Red fell 25–17 as Dartmouth capitalized on Cornell's unforced errors and sharp serving. Konvicka and Ava Bogan provided steady offense, combining for six kills, but the Big Green's .303 hitting clip made the difference.

Set 3: Konvicka Fires Back

Cornell flipped the script in the third set, storming out to an early lead and never looking back. Konvicka, who finished with 15 kills, sparked the charge with a late serving run that included two blistering aces to end the set, sealing a 25–20 win. Parsons and Nicole Mallus added key swings as Cornell tightened its serve-receive and limited Dartmouth to a .150 hitting percentage.

Set 4: Holdsworth Takes Over

Momentum stayed firmly with the Big Red in the fourth, thanks to a clutch performance from freshman CJ Holdsworth at the service line. Her pinpoint placement rattled Dartmouth's reception, delivering a string of aces — including a shallow serve that landed perfectly to push Cornell to 24–14. Moments later, a Dartmouth attack sailed long to give Cornell the set, 25–14, and tie the match at two apiece.

Set 5: A Gritty Finish Falls Short

The final frame saw both sides trade blows in a tense back-and-forth that featured seven ties and four lead changes. Cornell fought off multiple match points before the Big Green edged out the 19–17 win. Holdsworth added another ace, and Konvicka and Sione combined for several late kills, but Dartmouth's blocking presence at the net proved the difference.

By the Numbers

Konvicka paced Cornell with 15 kills, 13 digs and three aces, while Sione and Parsons each tallied 11 kills. Bogan hit a team-best .364 with nine kills and four blocks. Gray and Doga Ozalp orchestrated the attack with 20 and 23 assists, respectively, and Pomar led the defense with a match-high 26 digs. Holdsworth served a team-leading six aces without a single error.

Despite flashes of dominance, Cornell's execution wavered in key stretches, with 12 service errors and several missed defensive reads that broke up scoring runs.

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