CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard men's volleyball team continues its season-opening four-match road trip this week, with the schedule taking it to The Hoosier State for showdowns with No. 6 Ball State and Purdue Fort Wayne.
 
The Crimson (2-0) will face Cardinals (0-2) on Friday at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+) in Muncie, Indiana, before facing the Mastodons (2-1) on Saturday. First serve in Fort Wayne is slated for 5 p.m. ET (YouTube.com/@GoMastodons).

What to Know

• Harvard returns to the court after sweeping Merrimack College, 25-22, 25-14, 25-20, on Tuesday night in North Andover. The Crimson enjoyed a balanced offensive attack as four players finished with five or more kills (Owen Fanning – 7, Zach Berty – 6, Kade McGovern – 6, Trevor Schultz – 5).
• The road victory bumped Harvard's record to 2-0, a mark not seen in Cambridge since the 2013 campaign. That season, the Crimson went 18-9 (10-4 EIVA).
• Harvard enters this week's action having not started a season 3-0 since 2013. Should the Crimson defeat Ball State on Friday, it would be looking for its first 4-0 start since 2012 when it faces Purdue Fort Wayne.
• With its decision at Merrimack on Jan. 17, the Crimson pocketed its second road win of the season, a feat it did not accomplish last year until March 26.
• The last time Harvard went 2-for-2 in its first two road matches also came during the 2013 season.
• When Harvard takes the floor with Ball State, it will be in search of its first victory over the Cardinals in series history. The Crimson is winless in five tries and is 0-3 in Muncie.
• Harvard will look to close the gap in the all-time series vs. Purdue Fort Wayne as the Mastodons have taken four of the six meetings. The Crimson has dropped three straight in the series, having last tasted victory in 2017.
• First-year Zach Berty has been impressive to date, leading the Crimson in kills at Sacred Heart (13) and finishing tied for the second most at Merrimack (6). His 19 kills lead Harvard and is just one ahead of sophomore Kade McGovern's 18 (12 at SHU, 6 at MC).
• Sophomore James Bardin, a second-team all-EIVA selection a year ago, has picked up where he left off, leading the team in assists in both outings. The setter had 32 at Sacred Heart and 21 at Merrimack, giving him 53 of the team's 65 assists on the season. He has also contributed 11 digs, to rank second on the team in the early going (Logan Shepherd – 14).

Up Next

The Crimson will play host to the Harvard Invitational (Jan. 27-28) at Malkin Athletic Center. On Friday, Jan. 27, St. Francis and McKendree will clash at 4 p.m. ET and will be followed by Harvard and North Greenville at 7 p.m. ET. The next day will feature St. Francis and North Greenville (4 p.m. ET) and Harvard-McKendree (7 p.m. ET). All matches will stream on ESPN+.