Dartmouth volleyball team barely breaks a sweat in first playoff win

Nov 4, 2022

The Dartmouth High volleyball team (4) is on to the sweet 16 after making quick work of Whitman-Hanson (29) in the first round of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association playoff tournament.

The Indians won the game in three-straight sets, never giving the visitors the slightest chance as they ended each set with double-digit leads.

“It was a great start,” said head coach Rachel Lassey after the game. “They rose to the occasion and they got the job done.”

Lassey said that the victory showed the team’s chemistry and versatility as they worked in perfect concert to confuse their opponents, who never seemed to know where the ball would be going.

“That’s the beauty of what we’ve got going on right now, we’re not just relying on one hitter to put the ball down,” she said. “Lauren [Augusto], my setter… she gets to everything, but she doesn’t just have to push the ball to Ava [Crane] every time — we’ve got all cylinders firing.”

Lassey added that the team’s multi-pronged attack was complimented perfectly by its understated, but rock-solid, defense.

“Our defense is awesome, I feel like they never get any credit,” she said. “They’re the reason why Lauren can run the offense that she’s running.”

The hall-of-fame coach also noted that a handful of the team’s starters were competing in the playoffs for their first times and that she was glad to see that the moment wasn’t too big for them.

“I’m really proud of what they’ve been able to accomplish, especially the juniors,” she said. “For three of them this is their first tournament game.”

Now, Lassey said, she wants the team to build off their first postseason win as they move on to the next round.

“I’m really excited. That was a great start,” she said. “It’s nice to get this first one behind us and move on to the next.”

Dartmouth will move on to play Canton (13) at home on Monday, Nov. 7 at 5 p.m.