HONOLULU, HI – Harvard men's volleyball took No. 4 nationally ranked University of Hawai'i down to the wire this evening, narrowly falling in five sets (17-25, 27-25, 15-25, 25-21, 14-16).  The Crimson were led by a pair of 17 kill performances from seniors Logan Shepherd and Owen Fanning. 

How it Happened

Feeding off its home crowd and its win from Wednesday night, the Rainbow Warriors struck first, taking the opening set 25-17.  The Crimson looked strong to begin the set, using a 4-0 scoring run to take the lead at 6-5.  However, Hawai'i responded quickly, going on a run of their own to regain momentum.  The Rainbow Warriors would maintain a lead of no less than three throughout the remainder of the frame, ultimately solidifying a 1-0 match lead with an ace. 

Determined to take its first set of the series, the Crimson battled tightly with the Rainbow Warriors during the second set.  The entirety of the stanza was a back-and-forth affair with either team grabbing leads of no more than three points.  A late 3-0 run by Harvard pulled the squad back into the set by tying it at 21-all.  The Rainbow Warriors were able to fend off two Crimson set points at 24-23 and 25-24 but a Shepherd kill and Harvard block in consecutive points put the match back at even. 

Hawai'i reloaded in the third, pulling ahead quickly and never relinquishing its lead throughout.  A 5-1 run in the ladder portion of the frame provided a 25-15 decision to give the Rainbow Warriors back the overall lead in the match.

Harvard again responded, keeping the fourth set tight and not being deterred by any runs on the UH side of the net.  The Crimson had its own runs in the stanza including a key 4-0 run to give itself a 21-19 lead late.  The final point of the run came from an ace from Quinn Bishop whose serving provided a spark off the bench for the Crimson in crucial moments of the match.  While the Rainbow Warriors continued to pressure, a Miha Okron kill followed by a pair of attack errors from the foe gave the Crimson the final three points and forced a fifth set. 

Moving into the deciding set, the Crimson remained steady and eventually took control at the midway point with a 3-0 run and in turn, a 9-7 lead.  Harvard maintained its advantage leading up to match point at 14-11.  The Rainbow Warriors then buckled down, surviving several match points to steal the final set and the match with a 16-14 fifth frame decision. 

Harvard Highlights

• Logan Shepherd and Owen Fanning both contributed 17 kills to lead the way on the offensive end for the Crimson.  Shepherd set a new career high in kills while hitting .324 throughout the five sets and also adding three aces, two block assists, and a team-high 12 digs.  Fanning also contributed both a pair of aces and block assists. 
• Miha Okron posted a strong performance in just his second ever collegiate match, adding eight kills while hitting .313, two total blocks, and seven digs. 
• James Bardin contributed a team-high 37 assists while also contributing four kills and an ace. 
• Brian Thomas registered a team-high four total blocks including one on set point of the second set. 
• As a team, the Crimson had eight aces, marking its highest total since its five-set win over Sacred Heart on January 26, 2024.   

Next Up

The Crimson will host its home opener on Saturday, January 18 as a part of a six-game home stand.  Harvard is set to welcome St. Thomas Aquinas to the Malkin Athletic Center with first serve set for 5:00 p.m. ET.