Docter totaled 23 kills between two games on the first day of the Fordham Invitational (Gil Talbot).

BRONX, N.Y. – The Harvard women's volleyball team opened the Fordham Invitational with a split, falling 3-0 in the opening match against host Fordham and capturing a 3-1 victory over Rider, Friday in New York. With the results, Harvard moves to 2-3 on the season.  

While the Crimson failed to capture a set in the match against Fordham, all three sets were decided by less than three points. The Rams took the opening set 25-22, despite the Crimson only making three attack errors in the stanza. In the second set, the Crimson rallied from a late three-point deficit to take a 24-23 lead, aided by a key service ace by Jennifer Martin. The teams traded points to push the score to 27-27, but two kills from the Rams' Kailee May gave the hosts a 29-27 set win. The teams were knotted at 22-all in the final set but the Rams managed to close out the match with a 25-23 final score.

Taylor Docter led the Crimson with 12 kills and two aces while Teresa Skelly hit .538 with seven kills and added a team-high five blocks. Natalie Doyle compiled 30 assists while Christine Wu recorded 19 digs. May led all hitters with 19 kills on the match and Sara Konkel added 37 assists.  

In game two, Harvard and Rider were knotted at 7-7 when the Crimson went on a 9-2 run that propelled it to a convincing 25-18 win in the opening set. The Broncs captured the second set by a score of 25-21, but Harvard answered back in the third, closing with an 11-5 run for another 25-18 set win. Harvard jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth stanza and held that lead throughout to capture its third 25-18 set win and a 3-1 match victory.

Docter and Sandra Lynne Fryhofer led the Crimson attack with 11 kills apiece while Docter added 12 digs and Fryhofer had two blocks. Erin Cooney chipped in nine kills for the Crimson. Rider's Katelyn Thompson led all hitters with 16 kills in the match, while Amanda Piccolini totaled 37 assists.

Harvard resumes the Fordham Invitational Saturday as it takes on Stony Brook at 11:30 a.m., and Syracuse at 4:30 p.m.