Spikers Destroy Big Green

Harvard's women's volleyball team extended its winning streak to three games Tuesday night by defeating Dartmouth, 3-0.

"It was a good game for us," junior middle hitter Jennifer Jose said. "We did what we should have done. It was a good, solid game."

Harvard beat the Big Green by scores of 15-8, 15-6 and 15-3.

Going into the contest, the Crimson was confident.

First, it was coming off of one of its best weekends in recent memory. On Friday it nabbed a 3-1 win over Columbia. Then, on Saturday, it turned around and edged Cornell, 3-2. The Crimson won the nail-biter over the defending league champions by a score of 15-6, 14-16, 15-5, 13-15, 15-11.

It was the first time the team had garnered back-to-back games all season.

And second, it knew that Dartmouth wasn't very good. The Big Green's program was just elevated to the status of a varsity sport this season.

Thus far, the going has been rocky: it hadn't won since its first game of the season against Maryland-Eastern Shore, eight games ago.

"We knew that we could win," Jose said. "But we also know that they can be scrappy. We thought that if we didn't play hard, they could get an upset."

But an upset was not to be.

The Crimson started the match slow, staying neck-and-neck with the Big Green through much of the first game. Late in the game, however, it pulled away, winning by seven.

"We were a little slow getting into it," Jose said. "We sort of took it for granted that we were better team. We began to catch on to the idea as the game went on, though."

The Crimson never looked back. Increasing its pressure on the out-sized, outgunned Big Green, it took the second and third games with ease.

The win gives the squad a three-game winning streak and more confidence than it has had in ages.

Early in the season it was working to incorporate a number of talented freshman into its line-up. At this point, it seems to have done that: before the game, freshman Rachel Heit led the team in just about every category.

In addition, it has the proven record of a winner.

"This year we've improved so much," Jose said. "The improvement has largely been in our mental outlook. It used to be that we would fold in games if we got down or if we though the other team would catch up. We don't do that anymore.

"The chemistry's different then last year, but we've adjusted," she added. "It will be excited to see what we can do with it."