W. Spikers Earn Split Decision in Ivies

The Harvard women's volleyball team had a split decision in Ivy League action Tuesday night, falling to Yale in straight sets but rebounding for a resounding 3-0 victory over Dartmouth at Payne-Whitney Gymnasium in New Haven.

The Yale game showed how crucial concentration can be. After losing the first two sets by the relatively close margins of 15-11 and 15-13, the Crimson (6-8 overall, 1-3 Ivy) self-destructed.

"We started out okay. Our passing game was better than in the past three games, so that was an improvement," Co-Captain Manda Schossberger said. "But we did have more problems with our sets. We were missing hits and there wasn't enough teamwork on the floor. Then the third set came..."

Boom!

Sloppy setting and chaos on the court destroyed the Crimson's rhythm in the third set. The Elis (14-6, 3-2) capitalized on Harvard's lack of concentration and rolled to a 15-3 win, copping the set and the match.

Second Time Around

After the disappointing loss to Yale, Crimson Coach Wayne Lem emphasized the need for teamwork in match two against Dartmouth.

And Harvard responded.

The Crimson took to the court and belittled the Big Green (6-4, 0-2) in straight sets, 15-5, 15-3, 15-6.

"We have the skills. It's just a matter of concentration." Schossberger said. "We tend to go up then down. Once we get down, we have trouble getting back up."

The Crimson continues its Ivy slate with a pair of home matches at Malkin Athletic Center this weekend. Harvard faces Penn tomorrow at 7 p.m. and Princeton Saturday.