Cambridge, Mass. – Harvard Men's Volleyball (3-9, 1-4 EIVA) took their third win of the season and first win of conference play against the University of Charleston Golden Eagles (9-7, 3-2 EIVA) on Friday night (25-23, 24-26, 26-24, 25-12).
Harvard opened the match in a tight back-and-forth battle with the University of Charleston, trading points early before slowly pulling ahead. The Crimson capitalized on gaps in Charleston's defense, while their serve-receive unit stood out from the start. Four service aces helped Harvard edge out a 25–23 first-set win.
Set two was just as competitive. Harvard maintained strong play throughout; their efforts shone in their consistent lack of reception errors, but Charleston narrowly claimed the set 26–24 to even the match.
The third set featured long, electric rallies and impressive defensive efforts on both sides. Thomas Phung came up with several clutch saves, while Sawyer Nichols anchored the back row with key defensive plays. Harvard secured the momentum swing with a 26–24 set win.
The fourth set showcased Harvard's offensive firepower. The Crimson controlled the tempo, highlighted by multiple blocks from
Brian Thomas, and cruised to a 25–12 finish. Benjamin Vaught also made his career debut in the decisive set.
In front of a full crowd, Harvard delivered an explosive performance to earn its third win of the season and first conference victory.
Harvard Highlights
-Brian Thomas made a career high in kills at 10 with a .474 hit %
-Adrian Shevchuk set for an impressive .375 hit %
-Owen Woolbert added 12 kills and .556 hit %
-Zach Berty also got 9 kills
-Ben Vaught made his career debut
Up Next
Harvard plays the Golden Eagles on Saturday, February 28th at 1:00 PM. The game will stream on ESPN+.
