UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - Harvard men's volleyball (11-8, 3-3 EIVA) dropped its second battle of the weekend, 3-1, to No. 10 Penn State (17-6, 6-0 EIVA) this afternoon.
How it Happened
The Crimson opened up the match strong, pulling out to a 4-1 lead early in the first set. Despite keeping the match tight midway through, Penn State used a 5-0 scoring run to create distance from the Crimson. With several attempted battle backs from Harvard, the Nittany Lions were still able to hold on to take the opening set, 25-21.
Penn State took the momentum of the second set early, matching Harvard's first set start by going up 4-1. A few short scoring runs by the Nittany Lions created sizable leads that the Crimson were not able to break through, ultimately going up 2-0 with a 25-16 second set.
The Crimson showed its fight in the third, climbing back from an early three point deficit to take the lead after a 10-10 tie. Penn State was able to reclaim the lead shortly after but Harvard continued to battle back, tying the set up on multiple occasions. After the Nittany Lions tied the third at 23-23, back-to-back kills from
Trevor Schultz and
Zach Berty sealed the set for the Crimson.
Harvard carried its momentum from the third set into the fourth, going up 3-1 in the opening points. Despite a six point scoring run by Penn State, the Crimson battle back within one to keep its chances alive in the match. Another six point scoring run in return from the Nittany Lions ultimately would put the set out of reach as Penn State took the final set, 25-16.
Harvard Highlights
- Zach Berty was the sole Crimson player to reach double digit kills on the day by recording 11 kills while also adding two aces and five digs.
- James Bardin had an all-around performance by registering four kills on six total attacks and a team-best in both assists and digs with 24 and 13, respectively.
Next Up
The Crimson will remain on the road next weekend as it heads to take on No. 19 George Mason on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6 in Fairfax, VA.
