M. Volleyball Splits

When it rains, it pours, and the bad luck came in buckets for the Harvard men’s volleyball team this weekend.

However, despite injuries and illness, the Crimson (2-1, 1-1 Hay) picked up a split on the road against two Hay Division opponents this weekend, beating Southampton 3-1 on Saturday before falling 3-0 to Vassar on Sunday.

“I was really proud of the way the team pulled out a win,” said junior co-captain Mike Bookman. “I think that everyone came together and played as a tight unit despite difficult circumstances.”

With co-captain Justin Denham, one of the team’s top offensive threats, sidelined with back problems and Coach Tom Wilson recovering from a bout of pneumonia that left him hospitalized on Thursday, the Crimson departed for its New York road trip already at a disadvantage.

The trouble, though, had just begun.

Several points into the first game against the Colonials on Saturday, freshman outside hitter Will Reppun landed on a teammate’s foot after leaping for a kill attempt. The rookie sensation, who was the team’s primary offensive weapon in Denham’s absence, spent the rest of the weekend on the bench with a sprained ankle.

But the Crimson didn’t give up.

Instead, sophomore opposite Russ Mosier stepped up to key Harvard’s offense, racking up double-digit kills against Southampton (3-4, 0-1 Hay) and playing what his teammates considered the best game of his career.

“Russ Mosier had a really breakout match on Saturday,” Bookman said. “He played a really complete game for us when we needed him most. It was nice to see him step up and take a leadership role as a sophomore.”

Mosier, who joined the team late last year after completing his freshman soccer season, admitted to feeling more comfortable on the court.

“I’m only a sophomore, but I feel a lot more confident right now,” Mosier said. “After getting that game under my belt where I had more responsibility, I feel more sure of myself and my ability to play.”

Mosier, though, like the rest of his teammates, was not pleased with any aspect of Sunday’s game against the Brewers.

Without two starters, the Crimson was forced to play several players out of position. Combining that with an 8-1 Vassar team and a rowdy crowd at Kenyon Hall resulted in a lethal combination for Harvard.

The Brewers easily handled the Crimson, winning in straight games, 30-20, 30-18, 30-18.

“It’s a really hard place to play,” said Bookman. “It’s a small school with an incredible volleyball following. And Vassar is a good team.”

The Brewers throughly dominated Harvard, outdigging and outkilling the Crimson, 27-10 and 48-26, respectively. Vassar also posted an astronomical .480 kill percentage.

“Sunday was really unfortunate,” Mosier said. “It was actually kind of a nightmare.”

For Harvard, though, the streak of bad luck may be coming to an end. The Crimson will host Roger Williams at 7 p.m. tomorrow at the Malkin Athletic Center. With both Denham and Reppun questionable for the contest, Harvard is thankful it won’t be a divisional match.

“We are going to use the Roger Williams game to get our bearings back,” Bookman said.