Young M. Volleyball Wins Ivy Title

Sometimes, the best teams do more than simply "find ways to win." They also find ways to be disappointed.

The Harvard men's volleyball team is a prime example. Having lost two of the greatest players in the program's history in Ed Pankau '00 and Joe Herger '00, the Crimson was left to face a higher division of competition with a very young team. But not only did it finish in third place in the Hay Division-including an upset victory over division champion St. Francis-but it won the Ivy League championship for the first time since 1993.

But despite the team's finer moments, the Crimson (10-11, 6-6 Hay) ended the season still feeling hungry.

"We did struggle throughout the season, and there was substantial discussion as to why this was the case," said junior co-captain Justin Denham. "We had come into the year thinking that we would fare very well in our league. However, that did not end up being the case."

The team's unwillingness to rest on its laurels is characteristic its recent rise to respectability under Coach Tom Wilson, and the 2001 season will likely be remembered as another crucial step in that process. While it failed to make a return trip to the EIVA playoffs, it left its mark on the Hay Division and persevered despite its early-season difficulties.

"On the whole, we did fall short of our goals and expectations for the year," co-captain Justin Micomonaco said. "But it is important to keep in mind that we set some pretty lofty goals."

One problem the Crimson faced in the early stages of its season was a lack of depth. The absence of a natural libero-someone to pass serve and initiate the pass sequence-forced Micomonaco to play out of his accustomed blocker's role. Micomonaco adjusted and performed valiantly, but Harvard's options on offense were still limited.

"[Justin] played magnificently in some of our games," said sophomore setter Mike Bookman. "But it would have been unfair to expect him to be consistent in a position for which most players take years to develop the necessary skills."

A number of other factors-inexperience and mental errors among them-contributed to several early season losses to teams it could have beaten. The Crimson lost two games to a Vassar team that finished a game behind it in the Hay Division standings. But despite Harvard's early fall from EIVA contention, the season had its share of triumphs.

Among these was the Ivy League Classic victory on Apr. 1. Last year, Harvard had fallen to Princeton in a heartbreaking final match. This year, Princeton opted not to attend the tournament and the Crimson took advantage, bringing home its first title in eight years.

The next week, the Crimson played for pride in the final EIWA game and took out St. Francis-a team that needed a victory to clinch the division title-in surprisingly easy fashion, 3-1.

To that end, the players the Crimson did have all made vital contributions. Junior co-captain Justin Denham was a dominant force at outside hitter, and sophomore setter Mike Bookman continued to stake a claim to being one of the nation's best setters. Bookman and Denham will serve as next years' captains.

"J.D. gained valuable experience on the floor to add to his unparalleled raw physical ability," Micomonaco said. "And Bookman has one of the sharpest setting minds around. He's able to read defenses and deliver the right set at the right time."

Sophomore middle blocker Alex Kowell was joined by freshman phenom Juan Carlos Cardet, and the tandem should continue to strike fear into the EIWA next year as the passing game continues to develop. Senior outside hitter Brian Stevenson was second on the team in kills. Freshman Russ Mosier joined the team after playing soccer in the fall.

"Russ was our most improved player this year after making the switch from soccer," Micomonaco said. "Now that he is doing volleyball full-time, things can only get better."

The Crimson also feels that its next crop of freshmen will make an immediate impact and aid in filling the void left by Micomonaco and fellow departing seniors Stevenson and Auden Gonzalez.

"Our recruiting class may be the strongest we've had since I've been here," Denham said.

In light of the way the Crimson finished its 2001 season, the new recruits' introduction to Harvard volleyball may include a trip to the EIVAs.

Of course, don't tell the returning players that.

"Winning against St. Francis could be seen as a message," Denham said. "However, it would be easy to ride that achievement and assume that we're going to win a lot next season. In truth...any message we'll be sending will come from the practice court."