Spikers Overpower Springfield, 3-0

The Harvard men's volleyball team put a virtual lock on its third straight New England Volleyball League championship last night, overwhelming rival Springfield, 3-0, at the IAB.

The victory upped the Crimson's record to 14-1 overall, 8-0 in the league. Springfield fell to 7-7 overall, 5-1 in league play. If the spikers down Albany State March 19, Harvard will clinch at least a tie for the league championship.

The Crimson totally outclassed Springfield in every aspect of the game. When not tallying points with their blistering hits, the spikers scored with consistent blocking. Springfield offered little resistance.

"We were expecting a little better match today," senior Captain Brad Martin said after the game.

Jump Start

Harvard wasted no time taking control, jumping out to a 7-1 lead before capturing the first game, 15-6. Sophomore middle blockers Jon Ross and Mohan Nadkarni controlled the net, peppering the Springfield floor with their salvos. Harvard nabbed 10 straight points in the second game before Springfield entered the game, displaying its best volleyball of the night to cut the Crimson lead in half, 10-5. First-year Harvard Coach Ihsan Gurdal called timeout, and the spikers quelled the Springfield uprising to take the game, 15-9.

No such lapse was evident in the final game, when the Crimson built an 11-1 advantage, never allowing Springfield to establish its offense. The mismatch came to a quick, 15-2, conclusion behind the outside spiking of junior David Twite and senior Mark Chang.

Not only did last night's victory boost Harvard's playoff chances, but it also set the Crimson back on track. New Jersey Institute of Technology handed the spikers their only loss of the season Saturday in the East Coast Volleyball League Open tourney.

Now only Albany State stands between the Crimson and its third straight league title, and the spikers expressed confidence that the New Yorkers would pose Harvard few problems. "We should not have much trouble with the regular season," sophomore Terry Martin (Brad's brother) said.

If Harvard wins the league title, it will host the NCAA Regional Championships at the end of the season. The elder Martin welcomed the opportunity to host the top teams in the East. "We can show some people some really good volleyball," he said.