Men’s Volleyball Picks Up Second League Win

If there is one thing the Harvard men’s volleyball team knows how to do, it is showing up for big games.

Despite starting the season 0-10 against non-conference opponents, Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Sacred Heart (13-8, 3-1 EIVA Hay Division) put the Crimson at 2-1 in conference play and earned it the third spot in the division standings.

“In a weird way, timing is everything,” co-captain Gil Weintraub said. “We’re peaking at the right time. It’s great because we’re putting ourselves in a position to succeed in league, which is the ultimate goal.”

But the second win of the season for Harvard (2-11, 2-1 EIVA Hay Division) did not come with much breathing room.

Playing on the road in Fairfield, Conn., the Crimson outscored Sacred Heart by just two and three points to capture the first and third sets, respectively. But behind strong serving, efficient offense, and well-placed blocking, Harvard captured the 3-0 victory, 30-28, 30-23, 30-27.

Sophomores Nikola Ivica and Matt Jones led the strong Harvard attack, which finished at a 37 percent attack clip, marking just the second time this season the Crimson attacked at an efficiency above 35 percent.

Ivica finished with a game-high 20 kills, while Jones added 18. Ivica benefited from the Pioneers’ aggressive style of defense, as he utilized the opposite side of the court when the Sacred Heart defenders set up their block on the outside.

With the strategy’s initial success, Weintraub, the team’s setter, continued to find his open target.

“When a player is that hot, just keep feeding him,” Weintraub said.

Ivica’s final total of 20 kills marked a season-high for the native of Serbia.

But Ivica was not the only Harvard player to come up with a big game. Weintraub handed out a season-high 49 assists to go along with just one setting error. Weintraub, who started the season at attack, shifted back to the setter position midway through the season to aid his injury-riddled team. Since Weintraub’s return to his natural position, the Crimson has gone 2-3.

“Gil set phenomenally,” co-captain Erik Kuld said. “He’s making the hitters’ job really easy.”

But Harvard’s success on Saturday resulted from more than just its high-powered offense. Defensively, the Crimson was able to slow down the Pioneers, holding its opponent to an attack rate below 30 percent.

Crucial to the visiting team’s defensive success was the ability of its blockers to get touches on the ball. Harvard finished with nine team blocks, led by Ivica, who batted away two spike attempts.

“We weren’t just killing the ball, we were messing up their offense as well,” Weintraub said. “We were taking points away from them.”

The Crimson’s defense was particularly effective in the match’s opening two sets, during which Harvard held the Pioneers to 14 kills in each frame.

The Crimson grabbed the first set in dramatic fashion, rebounding from a 17-12 deficit to take a narrow two-point victory. Service errors plagued Sacred Heart down the stretch and strong play from Jones gave the Crimson the lead.

Jones led his team from behind the service line, finishing with four of Harvard’s nine aces. The Crimson also committed its fewest service errors of the season with nine.

Serving helped Harvard take control in the second, as the team went on a 15-5 run midway through the set to take a commanding lead. The Crimson did not look back from there, cruising to the seven-point win.

The third set was not as easy for Harvard, as Sacred Heart took an early 4-0 lead. But Jones came up with big plays for the Crimson, notching two aces and two kills in the early going to help Harvard take a 10-7 advantage. With the momentum back on its side, the Crimson did not let go of its lead, eventually closing out the match with the 30-27 win.

“I thought we played really well,” Weintraub said. “It was the first glimpse of what we’ve been working toward and working for.”

—Staff writer Martin Kessler can be reached at martin.kessler@college.harvard.edu.