M. Spikers Down Yale to Capture Second Seed in Upcoming Ivy Tournament

The Harvard men's volleyball team completed a sweep of Yale this season at the Malkin Athletic Center last night by beating the Elis in straight sets, 15-10, 15-11 and 15-3.

The Crimson put on display one of its finest performances of the season before a vocal and partisan crowd.

Harvard's victory ensured the team of a number two seed in the Ivy League Tournament to be held at Yale this weekend.

"This is the climax of the season for us," junior Captain Vince Marin said. "We started out a little shaky but then things came together for us."

After playing no matches for almost two weeks, the Crimson started out a little sluggish, almost squandering two big leads in the first two games.

Behind 5-11 in the first, the Bulldogs ran off five points in a row to trim Harvard's lead to one. A timely timeout by the Crimson stopped the run and allowed Harvard to close out the game, 15-10.

"We were a half-step off [in the first game] but with practice this week, we should be able to correct it," Marin said.

In the second, Harvard blew another six-point lead and allowed the Bulldogs to even the score at ten before finally pulling away, 15-11.

"We overcame a tough second game when we almost let them back in to blow them out in the third," sophomore Jon Carpenter said.

Harvard's hitters shined in the third game, with juniors Per Dutton and Brian Jones leading the way.

Their relentless kills helped the Crimson run off 12 straight unanswered points to lead 14-2.

Harvard finished the match in style as Marin, the team's primary setter, clinched the final two points with two spectacular spikes.

Harvard's depth came through again for the team last night, as Coach Ihsan Gurdal used a total of nine players in the successful effort.

Next Stop, Ivy Tourney

Next on the Crimson agenda is the Ivy Championship this Saturday.

Harvard's road to the championship game will be easier with the number two position in the eight-team affair.

The last time that the Crimson won the Ivy League Tournament was eight years ago.

"This will be the first time in eight years that we have a realistic chance of winning," Marin said.

Princeton Favored

Nationally-ranked and number one seeded Princeton is the favorite to win the championship, but Harvard refuses to count itself out.

"I'm really happy with the performance of the team in the last few games. I think that we have a good chance this weekend," Marin said.

"It'll be a five-match affair to win the tournament and it will take a full mental effort to win it," Carpenter said.