W. Spikers Place Third In Brown Invitational

The Harvard women's volleyball team faced an early-season challenge Saturday afternoon when it met up with Yale, its victim in last year's Ivy League semifinal match.

And the result was the same.

The Crimson (4-2 overall, 1-1 Ivy) swept the Elis in three straight games, only to lose to Brown in the semifinals and finish third in the Bruins Invitational in Providence.

But the victory over Yale may be a positive omen for the upcoming season.

"I think it was a good tournament for us," Co-Captain Carolyn Burger said. "We improved with each match, and the highlight was Yale. We played outstanding against them."

Harvard entered the weekend without the services of junior setter Dani Cunningham, who is suffering from a sprained right ankle, and defensive specialist Bev Armstrong, sidelined with a foot injury. The depleted Crimson squad struggled early, losing to eventual champion Hartford in Friday's opening match. However, the Crimson bounced back to defeat UMass and Fairfield to end a grueling 13-game Friday.

"I don't like best-out-of-five in tournaments, but we didn't lose our intensity," Burger said. "That was a good sign."

This season, rally scoring is being tested in women's volleyball in an effort to speed up play. This system allows teams to score even when they are not serving and puts a cap of 17 on the game. Rally scoring was a factor in Harvard's 17-15 fifth-game victory against Fairfield, but it did little to preserve the Crimson's waning strength.

"We were exhausted," Co-Captain Peri Wallace said. "It felt like three practices."

Despite an enervating first round of volleyball, Harvard came back strong on Saturday. The Crimson squad was reduced to eight available players when sophomore setter Michelle Carlo went down with a shoulder injury, but Harvard topped Lehigh and rolled over the Elis before getting eliminated by the Bruins.

"After this weekend, we can see that we'll be contenders for the Ivy League title," Wallace said.