Women Poised For Ivy Success

The women’s volleyball team has emerged from a turbulent opening stretch of the season undaunted, with an eager eye set on the beginning of Ivy League play.

The Crimson’s current 3-5 record reflects losses to tough out of conference squads such as Michigan State, American, and, most recently, the University of New Hampshire. Coach Jen Weiss believes the experience will serve her team well.

“Playing the bigger, stronger teams like UNH is going to be great preparation for the league,” she said, adding that her team had accomplished something substantial by taking a game from an opponent as talented as Michigan State, to whom Harvard lost two weeks ago by a score of 3-1.

In fact, coach Weiss is so confident in her squad that she has set her sights on an Ivy League title, which the Crimson has won only once since 1977-78, when it split the league with both Princeton and Yale in 2004-2005.

“Cornell is the defending champs, but they graduated the Ivy League Player of the year,” she said, referring to four-time All-Ivy selection Elizabeth Bishop. “Yale looks solid, but I think we have an opportunity to beat all of them.”

To do that, the Crimson will have to first realize the potential that senior outside Laura Mahon says is evident on their roster. After losing only two starters to graduation, Mahon believes that her team has the right combination of experience and talent to easily surpass last season’s 11-14 overall record.

“We are definitely improved in terms of our capacity,” she said. “I believe that we are more of a ball control team than we have been in a long time. We have a lot of control of our passing and our hitting.”

Leading the charge for the Crimson are senior captain Suzie Trimble, who was named All-Ivy Second Team in 2006, and Mahon, the 2004 Ivy League Rookie of the Year and a recipient of honorable mention All-Ivy last season.

Also receiving honorable mention in 2006 was sophomore libero Katherine Kocurek, a defensive specialist with a knack for digging.

Kocurek was named “Best Digger” this past weekend at the American Volleyball Tournament in Washington, D.C, during which she compiled 84 digs in 4 matches.

“Katherine Kocurek has done a great job,” Weiss said. “She has really helped us with ball control.”

The Crimson will also rely heavily on senior right-side hitter Mimi Hanley and junior outside hitter Kathryn McKinley, who, along with Mahon, was named to the All-Tournament team at the Harvard Invitational two weekends ago.

A new face in the starting line-up is junior Laura Mays, who has already proven she can handle a more prominent role in the Crimson game plan.

“Laura Mays has stepped into a big role playing front row setting,” said Mahon. “It’s really great to have a lefty, 5’11” center in the front row. She’s done a fantastic job.”

As for the class of 2011, Mikaelle Comrie has already seen game action, and Weiss predicts that her athleticism could be crucial down the stretch.

Fellow freshman Emily Harburg also made her first start last weekend in the tournament’s final match against Navy.

Next up for Harvard is the Crimson Classic, in which the team plays host to a four team round robin tournament at Lavietes Pavillion. Coach Weiss has one game in particular circled: Friday at 7:30 p.m. vs. Dartmouth. It will be the Crimson’s first Ivy League match.

For a coach and a team who want nothing less than a championship banner, it will be an enormous step in deciding whether this season will end in glory or disappointment. Mahon, however, is confident of her team’s chances at bringing home an Ivy League title.

“I think we’re expected to win,” she said. “We can do it. I know we can do it.”

—Staff writer Douglas A. Baerlein can be reached at baerlein@fas.harvard.edu.