Awaiting Results of a Complete Makeover

Almost everything about the 1986 Harvard women's volleyball team is new.

Led by a new coach, the spikers will be playing their first full year in the new Malkin Athletic Center courts, and only six of this year's players wore the Crimson uniform last year.

The injury-plagued Crimson posted a dismal 3-15 mark last year under the leadership of undergraduate coach Seth Farber '86, so the spikers are hoping that their 1986 record will be as new as everything else about the team.

When Farber traded in his coach's whistle for law school casebooks in June, Harvard hired Wayne Lem as his replacement. Lem comes to Harvard with 10 years of experience at Boston College under his belt. While at B.C., Lem built up a strong volleyball program--and he expects to do no less at Harvard.

"We want to establish ourselves in the Ivies as one of the top teams," Lem says. "It may not happen this year, but in two or three years we will probably do it."

Toward that end, Lem will be concentrating on fundamentals this year.

And the team captain, sophomore Maya Foran, thoroughly approves: "A lot of these girls don't have a lot of experience. They only played a little in high school," she explains.

Although the season officially opens on September 20 with a tri-meet against Holy Cross and Boston College, tryouts don't end until the 25th--and Lem views the early games as scrimmages.

"I am anticipating a slow start," Lem explains. "We supposedly have some good freshman prospects coming in, but they can't participate until the 18th."

Until tryouts are over, the spikers will have to rely heavily on seniors Pascale Jean-Louis and Stephanie Salinas, junior Kelly Abraham and sophomore Nancy Prior, all of whom were members of last year's squad. In addition, Jodi Cassell--who took last year off from volleyball--has rejoined the team.

The season closes the weekend of November 14, when the Crimson hosts the Ivy League Tournament. The spikers may not be ready to knock off 1985 champion Princeton yet, but they should have a chance to improve on last year's seventh--and last--place finish.