Spikers Seek Varsity Success After 8 Years of Club Status

After boasting only club sport status for eight long years, the Harvard men's volleyball team has finally achieved varsity recognition and will begin its first truly intercollegiate season this year.

Head coach Roger Martin has much to look forward to this season, for the past two years the team has copped the New England championship twice, the regional collegiate volleyball league title once, and last year compiled an impressive 11-1 record.

Another change that will boost the Crimson spikers' spirits is their migration from the New England league to the Eastern Collegiate Volleyball league, which includes nationally-ranked and domineering squads from Rutgers and Penn State.

Yesterday, Martin reflected on the volleyballers' outlook. "Last year's team revolved too much around Terry Trumbull, but this year's squad has much more depth."

The spikers system of play will include four hitters and two setters. The personnel is unusually tall for a Harvard team with 6-ft. 7-in. Dave Coatsworth, a former Crimson hoopster, leading the way.

Returning from last year's team are co-captains Trumbull, a senior, junior Tom Hanlihan, as well as veterans Rick Rohan and Andy Liu, and last year's freshman sensation Brad Martin.

Wunderkind

This season might see another freshman wonder burst on to the scene as walk-on Jon Tanaka has looked formidable in preseason workouts.

With the advent of varsity status, Martin said he will now 'establish a very large catchup recruiting program by contacting the ten best high school volleyball teams in the country."

Summing up the squads prospects, Martin added, "The feeling about this year is that we could surprise a lot of people, because we definitely have the best team in Harvard's history."