Women's Volleyball Continues Slide With Straight-Set Loss at New Hampshire

Despite solid play from junior outside hitter Paige Kebe, the Crimson continues to skid after dropping last night’s match to UNH by a score of three sets to none, Harvard (1-6) suffered sixth-consecutive loss this season.

Following a 3-0 sweep of Siena to start the month, the Crimson returned empty handed from its west coast road trip at the Baden Invitational, and its return to the east coast for did not change its recent luck.

“It’s still preseason…but it definitely has left a bad taste in our mouths,” co-captain Corie Bain said. “We have to come out in practice tomorrow and take care of business in order to prepare for the Ivy League.

After a quick 6-1 start to the third set, the Wildcats (5-6) saw some resistance from the Crimson. Seeing its lead get trimmed to three points, UNH called a time out to slow Harvard’s run and regain composure.

The Crimson cut the lead to two points before the Wildcats rattled off the next seven behind senior outside hitter Sara Carlson’s serve en route to a lopsided third set victory, ending the match in emphatic order.

“The end was just a continuation of our poor performance throughout the game,” Bain said. “The end was just the icing on the cake.”

UNH senior middle blocker and reigning 2015 America East Conference Co-Player of the Year, Demi Muses. Displaying consistency in her play, Muses led both teams with 17 kills and a .500 hitting percentage.

Kebe’s team-leading eight kills were not able to match the attacking force of UNH’s front row, as the Crimson fell to the Wildcats for the first time since 2013.

Harvard relied on Bain’s serve to create an early lead in the first set but then fell victim to multiple UNH scoring bursts. The visitors soon found themselves playing catch-up for the remainder of the set.

The Wildcats carried that momentum right into the second set, where they flew out of the gates to a 5-0 lead behind setter Keelin Severtson. Along with ripping two aces during her run, Severtson connected with Muses on two attacks.

Despite numerous substitutions and time outs in an effort to repossess momentum, Harvard was unable to climb back within striking distance. UNH never let its foot off the pedal, converting 17 kills and six aces in set two alone.

Harvard’s performance further withered as the night went on, and the group finished each subsequent game with less points than the last and never led in sets two and three. The service game in last night’s match was a noticeable Wildcat advantage, with nine aces trumping the Crimson’s three.

On the Harvard side, the team has grown to expect sizable contributions from some of its young rising stars, and last night was no exception. Solid defensive play from freshman libero Isabelle Tashima and a crucial net-front presence thanks to fellow freshman and middle blocker Maclaine Fields were bright spots in the straight-set loss. Tashima finished Tuesday’s match with a team-leading 12 digs and pitched in four assists; meanwhile, Fields contributed seven kills with a sound .312 hitting percentage.

“[The freshmen] have done a great job embracing their role,” Bain remarked. “When everyone steps on the court, we’re all equals…. It’s important that we all feel comfortable enough playing together.”

Tuesday night marks the fifth time a match has ended in a sweep of the Crimson out of its seven game slate thus far through the season.

“New Hampshire is not a team we should lose to,” Kebe said. “Especially not in three [sets].”