Killer Kaego

Nothing silences a Penn fan quite like a reverberating slam from Killer Kaego.

A match-high 29 kills by Harvard women’s volleyball co-captain Kaego Ogbechie led the Crimson to a 3-2 win over the Quakers in front of a hostile crowd Friday night at the Palestra.

While the casual observer might have lost track of her impressive kill tally, there was no denying that Ogbechie dominated the middle. She kept the Penn players running from side to side as they futilely attempted to block her powerful attacks.

“Twenty-nine is a lot of kills for one match,” Harvard coach Jennifer Weiss said. “[Ogbechie] was very smart about how she attacked the team. She really had the [Quaker] blockers on the move.”

“Kaego can really dominate at the net,” added senior outside hitter Nilly Schweitzer.

Ogbechie led the team down the stretch, contributing seven digs, two solo blocks and three block assists on the defensive side. But it was her .472 hitting that helped the Crimson to an early 5-0 lead in the fifth game that it eventually won 15-8.

“In those first five points, our ball control was right where it had to be,” Weiss said. “Kaego made it really hard for the other team to catch up.”

The only Ivy League Player of the Year in Harvard women’s volleyball history, Ogbechie has been the go-to player all season long, leading the team in kills and points per game. And while she may be best known for her offensive skills, she’s a solid contributor on defense as well, with 1.09 blocks and 2.82 digs per game—first and second on the team, respectively.

Ogbechie displayed her all-around skills in Saturday’s loss to Princeton. She fell just short of a triple-double, finishing the game with 16 kills, 17 digs and eight block assists.

But it was against Penn that Ogbechie really flourished, piloting the Crimson from 2-1 down to its first defeat of the Quakers in four years.

“Kaego really stepped up against Penn,” co-captain Kim Gould said. “She always generates so much energy from everyone else. Her stepping it up like that has a huge effect on the rest of us.”

Ogbechie’s leadership has been instrumental in guiding Harvard to a 5-1 Ivy record. After a .500 season during which she was injured, Ogbechie is ready to fight the ghosts of the past in an effort to capture the Crimson’s first league title. And the Quaker contest was definitely a statement match.

“We shut down the Penn ego,” Ogbechie said. “[The Quakers] have had good years in the past. But everything is different this year. I am really confident that we can take them in three [games] next time.”

Ogbechie’s teammates feed off her energy and confidence. When Harvard is down, the team knows it can turn to her.

“[Ogbechie] is just doing a fabulous job of being involved in every point,” Weiss said. “And when she’s not directly part of the point, she’s vocalizing. As a leader, she’s making those around her better.”

But it doesn’t stop there. Ogbechie ranks in the top five in the league in kills per game, blocks per game and hitting percentage. In a homestand this weekend against Yale and Brown, she’ll have the chance to continue her success with the support of a friendlier crowd.

“I love playing at the MAC,” Ogbechie said. “It’ll be good to be home.”

And nothing pumps up a Harvard fan quite like a reverberating slam from Killer Kaego.