Harvard Shows Promise with Invitational Title

The women’s volleyball team kicked off Ivy League play this weekend with a dominating performance at the Dartmouth Invitational in Hanover, N.H. Harvard (5-7, 1-0 Ivy) dropped just two games and clinched the tournament by defeating Dartmouth, Bryant, and St. Francis 3-1, 3-1, and 3-0.

It was a much-needed win for a squad that had struggled significantly in the early going, winning just two of its first nine games. But the tough non-conference schedule seems to have prepared Harvard for the long Ivy road ahead.

“The real reason we won is because everyone contributed,” McKinley said. “The Dartmouth tournament is always a blast, and although [the Dartmouth players] are rivals, we have great respect for them and feed off of their energy.”

HARVARD 3, ST. FRANCIS 0

The Crimson controlled the third and final game against St. Francis (0-18), taking only 50 minutes to clinch the tournament title, dominating the Terriers by scores of 25-13, 25-6, and 25-7.

The games were marked by sloppy play from the Terriers alongside efficient and powerful bench play from Harvard. The Crimson posted a season-high .456 hitting percentage and maintained consistent play throughout.

Senior Kathryn McKinley demonstrated versatility throughout the sweep, recording 10 kills, four aces, five digs, and hitting a season best .400.

HARVARD 3, BRYANT 1

The semifinal match against Bryant (10-6) proved to be a difficult test for Harvard. Despite only dropping one frame, the Crimson had to rally back from a first set blowout to win in four frames, 10-25, 25-14, 25-19, 25-19.

In the first game, Harvard could not hold back a dominating 10-1 run by the Bulldogs, who eventually ended the match with a climactic kill.

“There was so much emotion and physical energy, and we were a little bit tired from [Friday’s] match,” McKinley said. “After that first set loss, we realized we had to step it up and refocus our energy and control our errors.”

The Crimson responded quickly with a 13-5 run in the second and cruised to a 25-14 win.

The third frame saw back-and-forth action—the game featured five ties and four lead changes. Late in the frame, Harvard came back from a 16-12 deficit to take the lead at 17-16, and the Crimson closed it out on a 6-0 run.

In the fourth, Harvard took advantage of Bulldog errors, winning the frame 25-19 and earning a 2-0 record in the tournament. Junior co-captains Lily Durwood and Kat Kocurek contributed 48 assists and 22 digs, respectively, to the effort.

HARVARD 3, DARTMOUTH 1

Harvard opened the tournament with a convincing defeat of Ivy opponent Dartmouth (4-7, 0-1 Ivy), 27-25, 23-25, 25-14, 25-22.

After the Crimson took control in the first frame, the Big Green responded with a 7-2 run to open up the second game. Harvard kept it close throughout the second, but could not convert on its efforts. After getting as close as 23-22, Dartmouth pulled away, and Big Green junior Morgan Covington ended the frame with a kill.

Not allowing Dartmouth to take advantage of the momentum, the Crimson redoubled its efforts in the third, trouncing the Big Green 25-14. Unlike the second, Harvard did not slip up following its victory and closed out the match with a 25-22 win in the fourth.

The Crimson was led by a consistent defense that held Dartmouth to a .199 hitting percentage.

Sophomore Mikaelle Comrie and freshman Sandra Lynne Fryhofer made big contributions with 12 and 10 kills, respectively. However, it was freshman Anne Ingersoll who fronted the Crimson’s attack, hitting .531 and recording 19 kills and three blocks against Dartmouth.

“Freshman and sophomore play is so important early in the season, because it lets us know we have a deep bench the rest of the season and a solid squad for next year,” Harvard coach Jen Weiss said.