Spikers' Comeback Try Foiled by UConn. 3-2

A little teamwork may go a long was but sometimes not quite far enough.

The Harvard women's volleyball team came all the was back from a two game deficit against the University of Connecticut to extend the Huskies to five games yesterday in the IAN but the Crimson's new found teamwork collapsed in the the final game.

As a result a valient Crimson effort came up short, and the squad, now 9-10, dropped its third game in a row.

"No one is really a superstar on this team." said Co-Captain Kathy Wong, who along with fellow seniors Coco Trumbull and Lisa Leithauser was playing in her last home game for Harvard, "so we need good communication to win."

The Crimson came into the game with a superior record and seemed the better team throughout. Wong placed good set after good set in the hands of Trumbull and Leithauser and they repeatedly pounded the ball over the net.

Yet their opponents refused to give up and dug out countless balls. Harvard eventually grew frustrated with its inability to kill the ball and that frustration cost them dearly in the end.

UConn, now 9-15, sprinted out to an early lead in game one of the best-of-five match and then held on to win. 15-10, despite blowing a 10-1 lead.

This pattern was repeated in game two, as they visitors built a 14-4 lead before limping home to a 15-11 victory.

The Crimson clearly had the ability to get back in the match--all it needed to start a comeback was a spark.

Leithauser started the Crimson rolling with a fantastic save for side out with the Huskies up 2-0 in the third game.

During the next two games, the hosts' game finally clicked. A total team effort led by the serving of Danielle Schneider and Trumbull and the blocking of Leithauser enabled the team to ride to consecutive 15-10, 16-14 wins.

All of which set the stage for the Crimson to complete the comeback with a climatic fifth game victory, but the spikers weren't up to the task.

As quickly as it had appeared, the Cantabs' cohesiveness vanished. UConn was able to regain control over the flow of the game and Harvard never had a chance to regroup. The result: Huskies, 15-9.

Wong credited the mid-match turn around to "more team communication."

Leithauser was more basic, "We started playing good."

"From the first game I believed we could win the match," Leithauser added. "I wasn't to sure after the second, but after the third I was positive."

Unfortunately for her team. Leithauser's hopes proved illusionary.

The Ivy Tournament at Cornell now looms dead ahead for the Crimson.