Spikers Drop Match To Roger Williams

The Harvard men's volleyball team had another dissappointing game, losing to Roger Williams in four sets, 3-1, last night at the Malkin Athletic Center.

"I don't know why we won," Roger Williams Coach Joel Dearing remarked after the game. "Each game was pretty close and there wasn't much to choose from."

As Dearing indicated, the game was much closer than the score suggested. Harvard began the first set with 8-1 lead but, after many unforced errors, Roger Williams quickly came back to tie the game at nine.

The Crimson again pulled out to a 14-11 lead. But Roger Williams came back to win, 18-16.

"Basically, after losing the first game, a close game, it was all downhill--except for the awesome third set," Crimson hitter Bennett Johnson said. "We were playing with our heads down. It was our attitude, not [the lack of skills], that destroyed us."

In the second set, Roger Williams quickly jumped out to a 5-0 lead and widened the gap to 13-3. Harvard made a belated comeback attempt, but Roger Williams eventually held on to the lead and won the set, 15-7.

The Crimson dominated in the beginning of the third set and led, 11-3. But with a series of good blocks, the Roger Williams squad came back to tie the set, 12-12.

Julio Toro and Marty Valasek turned in fine performances to help Harvard eventually win the set, 15-12.

"Number 27 for them had a tremendous match," remarked Dearing, referring to Valasek. "We couldn't stop him at all."

Yet Valasek's performance was insufficient for the Crimson, as Harvard fell in the fourth set, 15-8, after holding a brief 3-0 lead.

"Our problem was our blocking and serving," Valasek said. "I had a good hitting game, but my serves weren't going in at all."

Valasek also felt that the team was "flat-footed" on defense. "We have to be quicker and punchier on our feet," the sophomore hitter said.

Dearing remarked that his team won the game because, "[We were] probably better with ball-control. I think we blocked a little better."

Dearing noted that his setter, Mark Mastin, had many kills by just tipping the ball over the net. Mastin's tip-overs and his teammate Mike Palazzo's blocks and spikes were three key reasons that led to the Crimson loss.