PRINCETON, NJ – Harvard men's volleyball (9-12, 5-5 EIVA) dropped a five-set (25-23, 24-26, 21-25, 25-16, 13-15) heartbreaker to Princeton (13-9, 9-1 EIVA) to close its weekend in New Jersey.
How it Happened
Looking to bounce back after a heartbreaking 3-0 defeat yesterday, the Crimson came out swinging, using a 6-1 run to tie the contest and then pull in front 11-7. For the fourth straight set this weekend, Harvard was the first to reach 15 points – but this time, they rewrote the script. The Crimson maintained the lead throughout the set, winning 25-23.
In another tight battle, Harvard held the lead for a majority of the opening half of the set, leading 15-12 at the media timeout. The Tigers' offense picked up speed, however, to remain close. Harvard fought off a pair of match points late to tie the frame at 24-24 but Princeton collected the final two points to steal the second set, 26-24.
Outside of a 6-5 lead early in the set for the Crimson, Princeton held an advantage for the entirety of the third set. Harvard continued to battle, tying the contest at 19-all but the Tigers regrouped to win six of the final eight points and win the third, 25-21.
Looking to force a fourth set, Harvard took a quick lead at 9-4. While the Tigers got within one in the set, the Crimson never relinquished the lead. Harvard was fully in control down the stretch, grabbing the final four points including back-to-back aces from
Sawyer Nichols to close the set at 25-16.
Carrying its momentum into the final frame, Harvard ran out to a 7-3 advantage early in the fifth. The Tigers however stuck around and tied things up at eight-all. Harvard again gained the lead and inched towards victory at 13-10. Ultimately, it was the final point for the Crimson as Princeton went on a 5-0 run to close the match and win the fifth set, 15-13.
Harvard Highlights
- Owen Fanning tied for the team-high with 14 kills while hitting an impressive .706. The senior captain also totaled a team-high eight total blocks.
- Sawyer Nichols also had a strong day, totaling 14 kills, three aces, and six blocks.
- Owen Woolbert was the third Crimson player to surpass double-digit kills, adding 11 while hitting .563. The sophomore recorded an ace and contributed four total blocks in the contest.
- James Bardin led the way with 40 assists while also tallying four kills, an ace, and seven digs.
- Quinn Bishop joined Nichols with a team-high three aces while also registering six kills.
Next Up
The Crimson will close the regular season next weekend with its weekend series against NJIT on Friday, April 18 at 6:00 p.m. ET and Saturday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m. ET in Newark, NJ.
