Women's Volleyball

Both the Harvard and the University of New Hampshire women's volleyball teams entered the final game of the UNH Invitational Tournament undefeated on the weekend.

But Sunday's championship contest proved to be an endurance test, and in the end, the Wildcats simply outlasted the Crimson.

The result was a 15-5, 15-2, victory that left UNH the tourney champ and Harvard (now 7-3) the runner-up.

"We didn't play up to our potential," Harvard outside hitter Jodi Cassel said of the title showdown. "Everyone got tired."

The Read to the Top

The spikers got tired the old-fashioned way--they earned it.

First Harvard ripped Boston College, 15-13, 15-9, then tripped Keene State, 15-9, 15-12. Bentity took a 15-10 game from the Crimson before the Cantabs zipped back, 15-6, 15-5.

That set up the showdown with UNH, a team Harvard had boston a year ago but that was, by all reports, much improved.

And sure enough, in the final, the Wildcats proved too tough and too fit for the visiting Cantabs.

Despite the loss, the tournament did provide an opportunity for Harvard to display its own improvement--Coach Ishan Gurdal fielded all of his players in at least one of the games.

Just 12-16 last season, the Crimson played especially well in its wins over B.C. and Keene State.

The most notable performances came from Cassel and senior Co-Captain Catherine Wong, who had the gaveling task of playing all four contests.

The use of non-regulars did cause some problems, however, "It was a little hard to play with the new people," said middle blocker Suranne Tapson, who added that the lineup shuffles did not came the UNH debacle.