W. Spikers Humble Lowell in Three Sets

The fans of the Harvard women's volleyball team breathed a sigh of relief after the Crimson finally finished off the University of Lowell in front of more than 100 fans at the MAC last night.

Harvard (4-5) had swept the first two sets, 15-8, 15-9, and seemed to be cruising to an easy straight-set win in the squad's last home game of the year.

But when Lowell (4-12) started surging back in the third set, memories of last week's five-set loss to Williams, when the Crimson also dominated the first two sets before falling apart, must have been lingering in everyone's mind.

Despite what happened in the William's game, every Harvard fan would have bet the ranch that the Crimson would clinch the match in the third set. Even with excellent play from Marybeth Flemming and Chrissy Leonard, Lowell just couldn't get it together.

"My team never really got started out there tonight," said Lowell head coach Ann Leonard (the older sister of Chrissy). "We looked like scared high school kids."

Indeed the best word one could use to describe Harvard's play in the first two sets is "intimidating." The Crimson was scrapping for every dig, setting well and spiking the ball past the outstretched arms of frustrated Lowell forwards. It seemed that there was no way Harvard could lose.

With Kristine Smith serving to open the third set, the Crimson thundered out to a seemingly insurmountable 8-0 lead but bad things began to happen with the Crimson leading, 10-2. Harvard committed three consecutive serving errors, but big blocks by Jen O'Shea, Carolyn Burger and Peri Wallace helped Harvard stay ahead, 11-5.

On the other side of the court, Lowell Coach Ann Leonard's team started to wake up. No one on the Crimson side really started to worry until its advantage was reduced to 12-10. Then a huge backrow kill by Lowell forward Marybeth Flemming was the first of three unanswered points which put Harvard behind for the first time in the match, 13-12.

Now everyone seemed to be worried, including Harvard coach Wayne Lem, who quickly made some key adjustments. A Manda Schossberger block got Harvard back the serve, but the Crimson lost it again on another service error. Then Schossberger and Yvone Karanas teamed up for another big block to give Harvard yet another chance at serve.

A second chance was all the Crimson needed. Karanas once again came through with two blocks to give the Crimson a 14-13 advantage. Then an attack error gave the Crimson the match, 15-13.

House of Kills

In the first set, the Crimson burst out to a 10-3 lead and seemed to have everything well in hand. Co-captain Shossberger taught Lowell how a proper kill is executed, Harvard style, on three separate occasions during the set. The setter for some of those kills was a valiant Burger, who played the game with a hurt and heavily bandaged chin.

In the second set, the Crimson simply outplayed Lowell. Wallace delivered two whopping blocks at the start of the set which completely discouraged the forwards from Lowell. The Crimson quickly broke out in front, 7-3, courtesy of another Schossberger block.

THE NOTEBOOK: The win should give the Crimson added momentum after its excellent showing last weekend at the University of Connecticut, where Harvard finished 2-2.

"The girls are really working hard," Lem said. "I am looking for more positive stuff out of them now that [they] have a month of play under their belts."

The Crimson will get a chance to show Lem more of the stuff he wants when it plays Tufts Thursday.