Volleyball To Finish up Non-conference Schedule in New Hampshire

Coming off four consecutive wins, the Harvard women’s volleyball team (6-2) will look to maintain momentum in its final non-conference game as it travels north to take on New Hampshire (6-9) Wednesday at Lundholm Gymnasium.

In its last outing on Sunday afternoon, the Crimson defeated Boston College in five sets to cap off an undefeated run through the New England Challenge at the Malkin Athletic Center.

Led by co-captain Caroline Walters’ 14 kills and four blocks and sophomore outside hitter Grace Weghorst’s 13 kills and ten digs, Harvard tied the program’s longest win streak since it won six games in a row in 2008. The team’s 6-2 record marks its strongest start to a season since 1984.

“We’re really excited [about our win streak],” co-captain Kristen Casey said. “We knew we were really talented going into the season, and one thing we’ve focused on is not losing to teams that we shouldn’t be losing to.”

The Wildcats are also coming off a strong performance, winning two of their three matches at the Holly Young Invitational but dropping their final match of the invitational to New Mexico State. Before that, junior right-side hitter Brenna Buckwalter, with 15 kills, and senior setter Taylor Dunklau, who had 49 assists, carried their team to a five-set victory against Rhode Island Saturday afternoon.

“New Hampshire’s an aggressive serving team and offensive team,” coach Jennifer Weiss said. “So…we’re not going to take anything for granted. We [need] to manage the whole pace of the match.”

The strong 6-2 start for the Crimson has overshadowed one area where Harvard has faltered this season—the beginning of sets. In the 19 sets that the team has gone on to win in its first eight games, the team has trailed at the 15-point mark in 11 of those contests.

“We’re trying to be consistent and be intense right when we start that set,” Weiss said. “We’ve been working on that in practice. The more we focus on one at a time, the better.”

When the two teams met last season at the MAC, New Hampshire won after tight five sets—each of which was determined by three points or less. Accruing 14 kills and 18 digs in the match, junior co-captain Tori Forrest led the Wildcats to a 15-13 victory in the deciding set.

A member of last year’s America East All-Conference first team last year, the outside hitter is coming into this match averaging three kills and 2.2 digs per set for New Hampshire.

Two Harvard players who will look to have an impact on this year’s match are Walters and sophomore setter Corinne Bain.

On Tuesday, Walters was named the Sports Imports/AVCA National Player of the Week—the first time an Ivy League woman athlete had earned the honor. The San Mateo, Calif., native was also named the Ivy League Player of the Week. The fourth-year star has recorded averages of 2.4 kills, 0.9 blocks, and 0.6 digs per set thus far this season, and Weiss said she and other veterans have helped the team start fast.

“It’s hard to compare [to last year],” Weiss said. “But this year particularly, our leaders are doing a nice job keeping everything on track.”

This is the second week in a row that a member of the Crimson has won Ivy League Player of the Week honors. Bain received the honor in the week prior for her performance in the Benson Hospitality Invitational.

The second-year player is no stranger to accolades, having won once before in her first year with the team in addition to being named Rookie of the Year last year in the Ivy League. She is averaging 2.4 kills, 6.8 assists, and 2.1 digs per set this season.

This is the last out-of-conference contest for Harvard before it opens up its conference slate with Dartmouth on Saturday.

“Our goal is to win the league, and I think we have a really strong chance,” Casey said. “We have to play every game like it is the Ivy League championship.”