CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard men's volleyball team (3-4, 0-0 EIVA) defeated Lincoln Memorial University at home to win the first-ever matchup between the Crimson and the Railsplitters. Harvard won in five close sets of 25-22, 22-25, 19-25, 25-22, 17-15.
How It Happened
In the first set, the Crimson came out strong, hitting .462%. Neither team could take control until
Owen Fanning scored two aces in a row to give the Crimson momentum and a 17-16 lead. Fanning followed the back-to-back aces with a kill to electrify the crowd.
The Crimson were able to hold onto the lead and take set one, 25-22, ending with a big kill by
Logan Shepherd.
In set two, the score was tied twelve times. Harvard had a 16-12 lead, the biggest of the set, when LMU came back to tie it at 18. The rest of the match was back-and-forth, until LMU gained an advantage at the end and narrowly wont the set, 25-22.
James Bardin started set three off with an ace for the Crimson.
The Railsplitters eventually grew their lead, however, and when the set was tied at 10, LMU went on a 5-0 run. The Railsplitters hung onto their lead and won set three, 25-19, to go up 2-1.
In set four, the Crimson and the Railsplitters were evenly matched yet again. It felt like LMU had an edge, but the Crimson battled to stay in it. Harvard was able to come away with a 25-22 win to tie the match, 2-2, and send it to a fifth set.
The beginning of the final set mirrored the first four, as both teams were able to answer when they needed it. Midway through the set, the Crimson received a service ace from Shepherd followed by a powerful kill from
Zach Berty to give Harvard a 9-7 lead and force LMU to take a timeout.
The Crimson led 11-8 when the Railsplitters came back to tie the set at 11. The Railsplitters had two match points, but the Crimson prevailed. The set ended with two LMU attack errors and the Crimson came out on top, 17-15, to win the match, 3-2.
Harvard Highlights
- Bardin led the squad in blocks with a match-high 3.5, and Ethan Smith contributed 3.
- With 12 digs in the matchup, Fanning led all players.
- Harvard finished the match with a .302 hitting percentage.
Up Next
Harvard will begin conference play next weekend with two home matchups against the University of Charleston.. The Crimson takes on the Golden Eagles on Friday, Feb. 16 at 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 17 at 1:00 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
