M. Spikers Drop Five-Set Match

The Harvard men's volleyball team came within a net's width of pulling off its biggest win of the year, but was thwarted at the threshold of victory.

The Crimson (11-3 overall, 3-1 league) dropped a heartbreaker in five games to Springfield College in league play last night. After a slow start, Harvard clawed its way back from a two-game deficit before succumbing to a pumped-up Springfield team before a rabid crowed of volleyball fanatics at the MAC.

Springfield leapt out in front, winning the first two games by scores of 15-13 and 15-11. These two games were not that close, however, and were marked by a host of missed serves and inept plays by the Crimson--a far cry from its winning performance at the Roger Williams Invitational February 16.

Harvard battled back in the next two games by taking control of the net and blocking numerous Springfield spikes. The Crimson won the third game, 15-11, on a well-placed hit by senior Co-Captain Alec Berg. The fourth game was a see-saw contest, with neither team able to gain a clear-cut edge in the early going.

Harvard finally managed to put the game away, 16-14, on a Vince Marin ace and a booming spike by sophomore outside hitter Albert Kim which brought the fans to their feel. With the match knotted at two games apiece, the Crimson appeared to have enough momentum going into the deciding contest for a come-from-behind victory.

The final game was played with rally scoring, where teams score on side-outs as well as serves. But after the Crimson tallied the first point, it was all Springfield. Behind the blistering smashes of middle hitters Ron Hohmann and Jim Groenwald, Springfield vaulted to a 13-6 lead. The match came to an anti-climactic end when Springfield won on a Crimson net infraction.

"We dug ourselves into too big a hole," Kim said. We didn't come ready to play today."

The crimson remained atop the league despite the loss, and has the chance to solidify its hold on first with a contest at league rival Roger Williams on Thursday and rematch with Springfield next Tuesday.

"We were not a team tonight. We were six guys on the court playing a game that must be played as a team," Kim said. "Maybe we were a little too satisfied after the Roger Williams Tournament."