Men's Volleyball Secures Spot in Playoffs With Weekend Split

The Harvard men’s volleyball team (14-8, 7-4 EIVA) clinched a berth in the conference playoffs over the weekend after splitting its two home fixtures against Princeton (11-8, 9-4) and George Mason (14-11, 10-3).

The Crimson was able to extend its home win streak to 12 against the Tigers on Friday, but it was unlucky number 13 for the home team against the Patriots on Saturday.

“Obviously, last night to win out in five [against Princeton] was huge in terms of our season,” Harvard coach Brian Baise said. “I feel like today [against George Mason] wasn’t that different a match. Last night, we got the key points at the end of the games, and today, we gave them up.”

GEORGE MASON 3, HARVARD 1

Down, 21-20, in the fourth game, Harvard called a timeout to stem a 3-0 Patriots run. A large crowd had turned out for Senior Night and waited with bated breath for the resumption of play as the Crimson’s 12-game win streak was on the line.

Two attack errors and a service error sealed the home team’s fate, as it was George Mason who wound up victorious, ending the squad’s streak.

That had been the story of the match, as two very evenly matched teams had gone toe-to-toe with only the key points separating them.

“We made very few errors for most of the game, then all of a sudden at 21-21 [in the second set], we missed a serve, we missed a couple of passes, and at that point the game is over,” Baise said. “Same with game four, they made a couple of good blocks, and at that point of the game, their team was able to seize that moment.”

Harvard had jumped out in front by winning the opening set, but was unable to resist the George Mason surge from then on despite having chances in the second and fourth sets.

“Those are the high pressure moments when you hope that the team is going to be able to pull through,” junior libero Chris Gibbons said. “They were getting those points today, so we’ve just got to focus in on high pressure situations for next time because we’ll probably see them again in the playoffs.”

The Patriots served extremely well throughout the match, with only 11 errors compared to five aces, putting pressure on the home team.

“I thought they served great,” Baise said. “Our passers did a good job, but [good serving] puts a lot of pressure on them, and then they backed that up with big blocks. That’s always going to be a challenge.”

Though this loss marks the end of the streak, the Crimson has its sights firmly set on the upcoming playoffs.

“This was our first loss at home, so it’s kind of a bummer,” Gibbons said. “But the guys know that everything is really just a buildup to playoffs, and that’s what really matters. As long as we are taking this experience and learning from it and getting better, that’s the important part.”

HARVARD 3, PRINCETON 2

It was Student Rewards Night on Friday against the only other Ivy school with a men’s volleyball team, and the raucous crowd was certainly not disappointed by a five-set thriller between the two rivals.

The game came right down to the wire with Harvard up, 13-12, in the fifth and final set.

Princeton junior Pat Schagler wound up to serve, but amidst rabid heckling from the home fans, committed crucial error to pave the way for a Crimson victory.

“To show that kind of courage and fight, especially in the playoff stretch now, is what we’ve been working towards all season,” Baise said. “We’ve seen it here and there, we’ve started to see it in practices the last few weeks, and it’s a great feeling. I can’t say enough about the team.”

The win was all the more sweet for Baise, as he is a Tiger graduate from the class of ’95.

“I always love playing those guys,” Baise said. “It makes a little bit more of a rivalry, a little bit more intense. It’s a lot of fun. I feel like both programs are in a real good place right now, it’s an even match, and they beat us down there earlier in the season, so a little bit of revenge is always nice.”

The playoff field is now set for the EIVA tournament, and the teams must battle it out for seeding behind powerhouse No. 12 Penn State.

“We’re in the playoffs now, and that will be a great test for us,” Baise added. “We’re playing for a seed, and literally we’re playing for momentum at this point.”