CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard men's volleyball program is slated to open EIVA action this week when it faces Charleston for a pair of matches in Charleston, West Virginia. The Crimson will take the court on Friday at 7 p.m. ET, before wrapping up the trip on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. Both tilts will air on MECtv.

What to Know

• Friday's match will mark the EIVA opener for both squads. Harvard enters the contest with a 4-4 record, with Charleston coming in with a spotless 11-0 ledger.
• The Crimson leveled its overall record with a 25-20, 25-20, 25-21 sweep of Merrimack last Wednesday. The decision gave Harvard a 2-2 record during its season-long four-match homestand.
• Junior middle blocker Trevor Schultz posted a match- and career-high seven blocks, while adding five kills and a service ace against Merrimack. His performance earned him EIVA Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors. The accolade was the first of his career.
• Sophomore opposite hitter Kade McGovern had a match-high 10 kills vs. Merrimack. He has reached double figures in kills in three of his last five outings and has posted at least eight kills in each of his last five matches (58 total; 11.6 kpm). Prior to the Merrimack contest, McGovern recorded a career-high 20 kills vs. Daemen.
• First-year Zach Berty finished with a .700 hitting percentage against the Warriors, connecting on seven of his 10 swings with zero errors. He has registered at least seven kills in six straight matches (52 kills; 8.7 kpm).
• At the national level, Schultz ranks No. 2 in hitting percentage at .536, which is tops in the EIVA, through Feb. 12 matches. Berty, meanwhile, is ninth nationally, and second in the EIVA, in aces per set (.643).
• Harvard comes into the weekend series with Charleston having won seven of the 10 all-time get-togethers (7-3). The Golden Eagles, however, have taken the last two decisions.
• Charleston will welcome Harvard to Wehrle Innovation Center fresh off sweeps of Wittenberg and Rio Grande (Ohio) at its own UC Tri-Match. The Golden Eagles have not dropped a set in 2023.

Up Next

Harvard continues its road stretch next week with a pair of EIVA matches at Princeton. The Crimson and Tigers will share the floor on Friday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. ET before returning on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 5 p.m. ET. Both contests will air live on ESPN+.