Women's Volleyball Defeats Northeastern

One of the trademarks of an exceptionally talented and mentally tough team is the ability to squeeze out of a victory, despite not playing to its full potential.

The Harvard women's volleyball team (18-7, 7-0 Ivies) emerged with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Northeastern (12-18, 4-5) last night; the win can be largely attributed to just that ability.

Coming off a six-game winning streak--including three huge Ivy victories--the Crimson entered the contest as a team with momentum, a team making unprecedented waves.

However, Northeastern was not the same caliber of opponent as Harvard has been seeing across the net recently. Facing a weaker opponent, Harvard experienced a motivational breakdown.

"We made our own mistakes--both mental and physical," said junior setter Kate Nash, Harvard's leader in assists and aces. "This was a good test of out mental strength."

In the first game, Harvard jumped out to an early lead of 12-5. After a timeout, Northeastern fought back and reclaimed the lead 13-12. Following a serve into the net and a shot just wide by Harvard, Northeastern closed out the first game, 15-13.

"We didn't take the game lightly, but we came out very flat," said head coach Jennifer Bates. "We didn't control the pace of the match, and that is always our goal."

The second game produced more positive results for the Crimson. Beginning with numerous side-outs and a constant chant of "side-out, Harvard, side-out" from the spirited and enthusiastic bench, this game was marked by a pendulum of momentum swinging back and forth.

After a Harvard timeout at 10-10, Julie Yick served two aces en route to five straight points, shifting the pendulum in Harvard's favor and giving it the 15-10 win.

The third game passed in a similar back and forth manner. Despite an emotional resurgence towards the end of the game, Harvard lost 15-13.

"We did not expect this tough of a match," said senior co-captain Lolita Lopez. "We came out a little unmotivated, but we showed a lot of pride at the end."

In the fourth game, Harvard's magic and momentum returned. The intensity level increased, and the Crimson won by a comfortable 15-17 margin.

Using rally scoring--the system where each point counts and the serving team is not the only team that can score--the final and decisive game was characterized by each team alternately inching ahead.

Harvard finally broke this redundant pattern and won the game 15-10 and the match 3-2.

Co-captain Elissa Hart and sophomore Linda Jellison led Harvard with 13 kills each; Jellison also led the team in assists with 34. Junior Melissa Forcum led the defense with 12 digs.

"We can learn something from this match," Bates said. "We know our capabilities; we'll use this as a stepping stone to the Ivy League Tournament."

With five players in the League Top 10 and an undefeated Ivy League record--only the second time in Ivy League history that a team has finished the regular season undefeated--Harvard's record speaks for itself.

The next challenge for the Crimson will be the Harvard Invitational this coming weekend. It will face a grueling schedule of five matches in only two days. This schedule should be good preparation for the Ivy league tournament, where the Crimson will be seeded No. 1.

"We are taking one game at a time," Nash said. "We want to make good things happen."

Based on the team's success this season, that seems a modest--and very possible--goal.