W. Spikers Win Big

One never would have thought that they still have a lot to learn. One would never think that there was much room for improvement. And one certainly would not have said that they need to mature.

Watching the character with which the Harvard women's volleyball team defeated Central Connecticut last night, one would never have guessed that 10 of their 14 players are only freshmen or sophomores.

The Crimson (7-6 overall, 0-2 Ivy) took care of business against the Blue Devils at Malkin Athletic Center in three games (15-4, 15-10, 15-12) with the efficiency of a lion hunting its prey and the mental fortitude Rarely found in such abundant Youth. Sophomores Sarah Logan and Elissa Hart led the way for Harvard with 15 and 11 kills, respectively.

"Basically we played excellently today," co-captain Jen Jose said. "Our mental game was much better than it has been in the past two weeks."

These words were proved immediately in the first game of the match, as Harvard jumped out to a 9-2 advantage and cruised to an easy 15-4 victory for a 1-0 lead over CCSU (5-16, 0-3 Mid-Con).

The second game was a bit more interesting, and it posed a test to the Crimson which they passed splendidly. Finding themselves behind 10-8, Harvard battled back with the attitude of a true champion, scoring the final seven points of the game for a 15-10 victory and a 2-0 lead in the match. The Crimson's focus was highlighted by Lolita Lopez (six k., three digs) on game point as she made an impossible dig to her left to keep the ball alive for the eventual win.

The truest testimonial to Harvard's mental strength came in the final game. Trailing 3-2, freshman setter Kate Nash, who had a remarkable 36 assists and seven digs on the night, made a diving one-handed save on a short ball which the Crimson ended up putting away. After that play, Harvard scored seven unanswered points.

"It's nice to have someone step in that spot as a freshman and run the offense," coach Jennifer Bates said. "Her work ethic is very, very strong."

CCSU pulled closer once again, but this time it was Logan, who seemed to come up with the big plays all match, who put a cross-court kill in the back left corner to end the rally. A short while later, leading 13-12 Logan again stifled a CCSU run with a tremendous smash right through the heart of its defense. No problem. Final score 15-12, match to Harvard 3-0.

While Central Connecticut is not the grandest of opponents, it is a good team which Harvard handled readily in a crucial game for the Crimson, who are coming off of three consecutive losses last week to Providence, Penn and Princeton.

"It was a huge turning point for us," Jose said. "The past three losses haven't had anything to do with our physical ability, it's had all to do with our mental...our focus on the game."

Five of Harvard's next six opponents are Ivy League teams, and the Crimson hopes to maintain its resilient intensity during a pivotal stretch.

"I thought that we played very well today," coach Bates said. "We had to work on our mental game and our consistency...and we did that as a team. That was important for us going into the next Ivy weekend with Columbia and Cornell at home." CCSU  0 Harvard  3