CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard Men's Volleyball rallied from an early deficit to take a 2-sets-to-1 lead, but was unable to hold on, falling in five sets (12-25, 25-18, 25-18, 22-25, 8-15) to Sacred Heart Wednesday night at Malkin Athletic Center.

How It Happened

• Harvard (6-11) found itself tied with the Pioneers, 3-3, in the first set only to have the visitors nudge ahead, 5-3. Sacred Heart later turned a 7-5 lead into an 11-5 margin and never looked back, capturing the first frame, 25-12.
• Sacred Heart (6-8) continued its momentum in the second set, scoring the first two points. Harvard, however, answered with five straight to move in front. After allowing the Pioneers to get within one, the hosts responded with a 3-0 spurt, creating a four-point separation. The Crimson later enjoyed an eight-point lead on two occasions en route to a 25-18 victory, which leveled the match at 1-1.
• The third set was much tighter with the teams deadlocked at 10-10. Harvard embarked on a 6-2 run, creating much-needed breathing room. The Crimson's 16-12 lead eventually swelled to 20-14 before earning another 25-18 decision.
• In the fourth, Sacred Heart raced to a 7-2 lead, but the Crimson clawed its way back into striking distance, trailing, 9-7. The Pioneers, however, pushed its lead to 18-11 and was poised to cruise to victory. Harvard had other plans and fought to make it a 23-21 SHU advantage, and later a 24-22 deficit, only to fall, 25-22.
• In the fifth and final frame, Sacred Heart turned a 3-3 score into a 7-3 lead and the Crimson was unable to recover. Harvard got to within 8-5 of the Pioneers, but would not get closer as the visitors pocketed the decisive 15-8 win. 

Harvard Highlights

• Kade McGovern led Harvard with nine kills and tied Ethan Smith (and two SHU players) for the match lead with two service aces. The sophomore also added four digs and three blocks.
• Trevor Schultz finished with eight kills and hit .438 for the contest. He led all players with eight total blocks.
• Smith tallied seven kills, the aforementioned two aces, and five digs.
• Azim Raheem provided a boost off the bench with a career-high-tying six kills. He hit .500 for the match and added one block and one dig.
• Owen Fanning contributed six kills and six blocks, the latter of which marked a career best.

Up Next

Harvard will play host to American International at Malkin Athletic Center on Friday. The 7 p.m. ET match will air live on ESPN+.