CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Following the postponement of its January 7 season-opening match at Merrimack, Harvard men's volleyball is now set to begin 2024 competition with a pair of matches out west. The Crimson will battle No. 12 USC and No. 18 CSUN on Thursday, January 11, and Friday, January 12, respectively. First serve is set for 10:00 p.m. ET against the Trojans, followed by a 9:00 p.m. ET start vs. the Matadors the next night.
What to Know
- The Crimson is set to open up its 44th season out west after postponing its original season opener on Saturday, January 7, against Merrimack College.
- Harvard will look to open its season with a win for the second straight year. In 2023, the Crimson bested Sacred Heart, 3-1, to begin its campaign.
- Last season, the Crimson finished 9-16 overall and made an appearance at the 2023 EIVA Championships.
- Harvard has its sights set on a strong season after welcoming back a majority of its key contributors from the 2023 season. From a statistical standpoint, Harvard welcomes back 89.9% of its kills (847 of 942), 90.8% of its assists (782 of 861), 85.7% of its service aces (108 of 126), 84.4% of its digs (541 of 641), and 83.3% of its total blocks (150 of 180).
- Ending last season with an All-EIVA Second-Team selection, senior middle blocker Ethan Smith returns for the Crimson. Last year, Smith accumulated 130 kills and 63 total blocks.
- In December, Smith, along with teammate James Bardin (setter), were named as 2024 EIVA Players to Watch.
- Bardin makes up 682 of the 782 returning assists for Harvard. Additionally, the junior registered 115 digs in 2023.
- Zach Berty is set for another strong season after a first-year campaign in which he led the team with 202 total kills, 2.53 kills per set, and 32 aces. Kade McGovern (189), Smith (130), Trevor Schultz (128), and Owen Fanning (107) all joined Berty with triple digit kills in 2023.
- Harvard's business trip out west will be one of three road trips to begin the season. After returning from California, the Crimson will travel to New York to face D'Youville and Daemen followed by a trip to Sacred Heart before opening an eight-match home slate.
- The team's season opener versus USC will be the sixth match-up all-time. The Trojans hold a 4-1 advantage over the Crimson in the all-time series as the two teams square off for the first time since 2018.
- The Crimson's second clash of the trip will be the first all-time meeting between Harvard and CSUN.
Next Up
Harvard will travel to upstate New York to battle D'Youville University and Daemen University on consecutive days, beginning Wednesday, January 17. First serve is set for 7:00 p.m. ET and 6:00 p.m. ET, respectively.
