Women Spikers Take a Pair

The women's volleyball team served up two big Ivy wins this weekend against Columbia and Cornell.

After struggling against Penn and Princeton in its two previous Ivy games, the Crimson (2-2) used the weekend to test its refined skills.

The Crimson passed with flying colors.

On Friday, the Crimson defeated Columbia 3-1, with scores of 12-15, 15-9, 15-7, 15-8.

Coming into the game with a losing record, the Crimson needed to play as a team, rather than a group of individuals. And that is exactly what it did.

"Columbia is not as strong as Cornell, Princeton or Penn," senior co-captain Judy Iriye said.

"They allowed us to test out our new attitudes. The game gave us the confidence we needed."

After defeating Columbia, the Crimson's weekend was far from complete. That was because next it was to face the defending and three-time Ivy League champion Cornell.

The Crimson, playing not only against the Big Red, but also against its excited home crowd, did not have a let-down. Instead, it roared to a 3-2 win, with close scores of 15-6, 14-16, 15-5, 15-13, 15-11.

With exception play in the weekend's games, freshman Elissa Hart was named the Ivy League player of the week.

Yet it was the team as a whole which allowed the Crimson's play to rise to a new level.

"Mentally we came together as a team," freshman Rachel Gold said.

The Crimson will next be in action this afternoon, when it plays Dartmouth.

They (Columbia) allowed us to test out our new attitudes. The game gave us the confidence we needed."

Judy Iriye Harvard  3 Columbia  1

Harvard  3 Cornell  2

Harvard  3 Cornell  2