Crunch-Time Lapses Hurt Harvard on Road

Passing the midpoint of the season, the Harvard men’s volleyball team isn’t finishing games like it wants to be finishing its season—with a focused crunch-time attitude.

Following what has been a disturbing season-long trend, the Crimson failed to finish games strongly down the stretch and was swept, 3-0 (30-23, 30-25, 30-26) on Friday evening at Springfield College at the Blake Arena in Springfield, Mass.

“We can’t close matches this year,” junior Dave Fitz said. “We don’t have a killer instinct.”

The Pride (8-10, 6-2) received a dominant performance from freshman outside hitter Ryan Frederickson, who led all players with 17 kills on 24 swings.

Last month, Frederickson registered 16 hits and 14 digs when Springfield visited Harvard (3-9, 2-3 Hay) and took the match, 3-1. Despite remembering his stand-out effort, the Crimson still failed to match his intensity.

“I don’t think we were prepared for him to play as well as he did,” co-captain Seamus McKiernan said. “He’s a very consistent player, and for the most part we aren’t a consistent team.”

Harvard saved its best play for the middle of each game: falling behind early, roaring back, and then giving up a lead as the game wore down to the close.

In the first game, the Crimson found itself in early holes of 7-3 and 10-5, but fought back to take a brief 17-16 lead on a kill from sophomore Jordan Weitzen.

But kills from Springfield’s Frederickson and Eric Palombo allowed the Pride to pull away and finish the game comfortably. “We’re probably the best in the league at coming back on teams, but that’s not enough if you start down like we did tonight,” McKiernan said, who led the Crimson with 16 kills, six digs, and three blocks. “We lose a game without knowing it in the first 10 points.”

The second frame was more of the same—Harvard was unable to string enough plays together to take a lead at the start.

As the game progressed and the Crimson got into a rhythm, it managed to grab several two-point leads throughout the game. But it was never able to pull away—Springfield clawed back point by point to tie the game at 24, and from that point, never looked back.

“From 25 [points] on, we need to pick up our play,” McKiernan said.

“We don’t come out strong, we don’t finish strong,” Fitz added. “When it comes to crunch time, we just tighten up.”

It’s not a good time for the Crimson to be letting leads fall out of its grasp. At the halfway point of the season, Harvard stands in the middle of the Hay Division pack. With no team stepping up to challenge division-leading East Stroudsburg, the league standings are wide open, and the Crimson could make a run at a top finish.

Harvard plays three games this coming week with the hopes of righting its recent skid and making a playoff push.

“Oftentimes, a win or a string of wins can be the morale booster, the cure-all,” McKiernan said. “We’re at a turning point right now.”

“I know we’re going to pull this thing around—we won’t go down with a losing record,” Fitz added. “There’s no doubt in my mind.”