Coach Notches 200th Win as Harvard Goes 1-2

You can’t win them all.

Hosting its only tournament of the 2008 season, the Harvard women’s volleyball team met with mixed success at last weekend’s Harvard Invitational, coming out 1-2 overall.

“I think it was a great start to the year for us,” junior co-captain Lily Durwood said. “It was a really challenging schedule because...American always wins their league, and Long Beach State is one of the top teams in the country.”

After a tough 3-0 loss against American (5-3) in the opening match, the Crimson (1-3) came back to secure a 3-1 victory against CCSU (3-5), marking its first win of the season as well as head coach Jen Weiss’ 200th career victory.

But Harvard’s success was short-lived, as No. 22 Long Beach State (8-1) overpowered the Crimson, 3-1, in the finale.

LONG BEACH STATE 3, HARVARD 0

The 49ers proved to be too much, sweeping Harvard in the final event of the Invitational, 25-17, 25-11, 25-8.

Long Beach landed an early lead in the first set and held onto it for the rest of the game. Although the Crimson managed to cut the deficit to 9-6, the 49ers slammed down five kills and a few aces to pull ahead, 17-10. Unable to close the gap, Harvard succumbed to the Beach, 25-17.

The Crimson managed to keep up with the 49ers at the beginning of the second frame, but Long Beach quickly pulled away for a 25-11 victory.

Sounding the final death knell for Harvard, Long Beach State hit .429 in the final set, giving it the momentum to hand the Crimson a 25-8 loss.

HARVARD 3, CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE 1

Starting off strong, the Crimson knocked out back-to-back victories in the first two sets (25-21, 25-23) against the Blue Devils. And although CCSU fought back for a 25-23 win in the third frame, Harvard remained in control to clinch a 25-23 victory in the final set to take the match.

“[The win against CCSU] felt really great, especially because we lost the third game and came back and won the fourth game after giving them a run for points,” sophomore Mikaelle Comrie said. “We didn’t let them back into the game. Last year, we really struggled with closing games, and this year, at that game especially, we were doing things right.”

The Crimson’s win was marked by solid individual performances, particularly by freshman Anne Carroll Ingersoll, who notched 16 kills and recorded a .517 hitting percentage in just her second collegiate match. The rookie also managed to post an ace, three digs, and a solo block.

“[Anne Carroll’s] really tall, so she adds a lot of height to our team,” Durwood said, “but she’s also a great blocker and a great person for me to work with as a setter, and she’s really eager and is always ready to be set.”

Freshman Christine Wu dove for a career-high 21 digs, while Durwood posted 53 assists and 19 digs against CCSU.

“We’ve got an incredible freshman class,” Durwood said. “Christine Wu is just an incredible defender and an amazing teammate...All the freshmen have already added so much, even before we started playing in preseason. They’re going to help bring our team to the next level.”

AMERICAN 3, HARVARD 0

The Crimson’s first home game of the season proved to be a disappointment, as the Eagles soared above Harvard, 25-9, 25-19, 26-24.

American was unstoppable in the first frame, flying out to a 14-5 lead on the way to a 25-9 win.

Harvard fell behind early in the second set, but kills by junior Chelsea Ono Horn and Comrie narrowed the score to 14-12. Still, the Eagles maintained their edge to keep the Crimson behind, ending the frame at 25-19.

With Harvard fighting to stay in the game, the score remained close in the final set. As soon as American took a 12-9 lead, the Crimson battled back to tally the next six points, which included two kills and an ace. But the Eagles reclaimed the lead at 24-23. Crimson senior Kathryn McKinley made a big play to tie the score at 24, but American kept one step ahead of the Harvard ladies, seizing a 26-24 win.

The Crimson will play its next nine games on the road, beginning with Wednesday’s match against Boston College.

—Staff writer Courtney D. Skinner can be reached at cskinner@fas.harvard.edu.