Harvard Kicks Off Playoffs in Virginia

The most dangerous team in the playoffs is most often the one with nothing to lose. The Harvard men’s volleyball team will look to prove this axiom correct tonight, as it enters the first round of the EIVA Championship seeded last in the eight-team tournament.

Making its first post-season appearance since 2005, Harvard (11-7, 6-2 EIVA Hay Division) will take on fifth-seeded George Mason (12-15, 5-7 EIVA Tait Division) at the Field House in Fairfax, Va.

Making a splash in first-year coach Brian Baise’s playoff debut will be anything but easy. Playing the role of underdog perhaps a little too well, the Crimson enters tonight’s contest with an undermanned staff of only nine players to its opponent’s 19.

“There are obviously costs to having such a small roster—everyone has to be on their game all the time, but having such a small, tight group of guys means we can bond as a team,” co-captain Brady Weissbourd said. “We’ve won all our important games in five, and it shows the difference between us and other teams in those close matches.”

Although the advantages of camaraderie are undeniable, one of those “costs” is the extent to which injuries can affect a depleted staff.

Two of Harvard’s best players—Weissbourd, its leading offensive force, and fellow senior Jeff Nathan, its libero and defensive specialist—were hurt late last week.

Weissbourd’s broken finger and Nathan’s sprained ankle won’t keep them out of tonight’s showdown, but the ailments will certainly play a factor.

The injuries have already taken their toll, as evidenced by the Crimson’s disappointing loss to league rival Rutgers-Newark in three sets last Friday. The defeat not only halted Harvard’s run of four straight wins, but also dropped the team into a tie with the Scarlet Pioneers for the division title.

Rutgers-Newark came out on top in the tie-breaker, allowing it to claim the seventh seed in the league playoffs and making the Crimson the Hay Division runner-up.

But as all good teams do, the Crimson must quickly shift its mental focus to its next opponent.

“We had a tough loss on Friday,” junior co-captain Gil Weintraub said. “We didn’t come in there 100%, which was unfortunate, but we’re not going to dwell on it.”

Overlooking George Mason is something Harvard cannot afford to do.

Historically strong in the post-season—having reached the EIVA semifinals four times and the finals twice in the past four years—the Patriots should present the Crimson with quite a challenge.

In contrast to its opponent, George Mason finished its regular-season schedule on a high note with a 3-0 win over Tait Division rival NJIT last Saturday. The victory broke a two-game losing streak and brought the Patriots to 6-6 at home. Although the team is below .500 both in overall and conference play, Harvard is well-aware that its appearance on paper may be deceiving.

“George Mason is consistently a very strong team,” Weintraub said. “They have a very strong schedule, so it doesn’t reflect how good they are, but we know they are well rounded, so we can’t be sluggish. But if we come out strong and play Harvard volleyball, I think we have a chance to win.”

The main beneficiary of Weintraub’s passes, Weissbourd, echoed his teammate’s confidence.

“We definitely have a chance,” Weissbourd said. “They are a very beatable team. It’s clear they’re up and down, a streaky team. We just have to come in fired up. We’re going to play our hardest and have fun. I’m confident we can win.”

If Harvard has any hopes of pulling an upset, relying on veteran leadership will be crucial, especially on the offensive side, where the team has struggled of late.

“The upperclassmen have led us and carried us, starting with Brady,” freshman Matt Jones said. “He’s the go-to hitter—we go to him when it’s crunch time, and Gil runs the offense. Those are the two guys that I think have really been a part of our success, not only with their effort on the court, but they’ve also fostered a good mentality as far as dedication and working hard.”

The winner of tonight’s match will visit No. 4 seed Springfield Saturday, vying for the chance to enter the league semifinals April 30 at Penn State.

—Staff writer Dennis J. Zheng can be reached at dzheng12@college.harvard.edu.