Harvard Ends Homestand with Easy Victory

After two crucial victories against Rutgers-Newark and NJIT last weekend, the Harvard men’s volleyball team picked up where it left off, sweeping Endicott, 3-0 (30-25, 30-23, 30-24), last night at the Malkin Athletic Center. The Crimson (6-5, 2-1 EIVA Hay Division) showed no signs of a letdown, as it came out determined to overpower the visiting Gulls (19-8, 10-0 NECVA).

“I’d like to think that we’ve turned the corner,” Harvard coach Brian Baise said. “We played some really good ball over the weekend, and we continued with that for the most part tonight. The guys are playing hard, and I was really glad that the team didn’t let down after the weekend.”

It was clear that the Crimson was more offensively skilled and defensively disciplined than its opponent, but more striking was an emerging sense of confidence found in all of the players.

“We know what to expect,” Baise said. “When we need points, we know how to get them, and where to go. In the first half of the season, we were still figuring that out. When it’s 28-all, the questions are where do we go, what is the set, what play do we run. I think that’s the biggest difference.”

Harvard started the match off firing on all cylinders, setting the tone on the first play of the game with a block by junior setter Gil Weintraub. With the set tied, 13-13, freshman sensation Matt Jones got comfortable on the outside by slamming down kill after kill, igniting a run that gave the team a 21-13 lead.

“I think we have confidence right now, and that’s really important,” junior Soren Rosier said. “As a team, we’re really starting to come together. We’re a really cohesive group, everybody likes each other. When you come into a game with confidence, things work out.”

Harvard also tightened up on the defensive end, allowing only 14 kills for an Endicott team that hit .184 in the first set. Senior co-captain Brady Weissbourd dominated the undersized team with his 6’9 height, tallying six kills in the first set alone, including one that went untouched to wrap up the first set.

The second set would bring more of the same. With the two teams knotted at 6-6, it appeared that the Endicott players were not ready to go down without a fight. But after a heroic save by Weintraub and two straight service aces by Weissbourd, the Crimson reestablished its offensive rhythm against the Gulls. With the team holding on to a tight 27-23 lead, back-to-back blocks by Weissbourd and Jones ended any hopes of an Endicott comeback.

While Harvard has struggled all season to put teams away in the elimination set, the Crimson had no trouble at all taking care of business in the third set last night. Though Harvard hit just .355 and committed seven service errors, its defense continued to disrupt Endicott’s offensive game plan, holding the Gulls to just seven kills and six errors for a team attack of .042.

“We actually tried out a few different rotations today, mixed and matched players,” Rosier said. “There wasn’t anything in particular that they were doing that we were trying to key in on. This was one of those games where we were playing pretty well in the game, so our coach wanted us to work on the small things.”

As a result, Weissbourd put on an offensive clinic, totaling 20 kills, three service aces and nine digs. The reigning Hay Division Player of the Week logged his fifth 20-plus kill game in a row, an impressive feat in itself. At the same time, Weissbourd demonstrated his role as a leader, rallying the team and calling the plays on the court.

“Brady’s our go-to guy on offense,” Baise said. “He makes it tough for the other team. With him, I know we can kill at any point. Whenever we’re down, we make sure we find where he is.”

Jones continued his strong freshman campaign with a solid night, racking up 12 kills. Though he had trouble at times serving the ball, Weissbourd made sure that the rookie did not get frustrated.

“As freshmen, there’s still a lot of learning to go, and one of the things you learn in your college career is how not to make mistakes in those crucial moments, settle down, and fit into the team,” Baise said. “[Jones has] been great for us.”

The win against Endicott lifted the Crimson above the .500 mark for the season, but the team will now hit the road after playing five straight games at the MAC. Harvard has not won a game away from home all season, and will now face two solid teams in Princeton and league opponent East Stroudsburg.

“Being here, we’re in our comfort zone, so we’re still yet to be tested,” Rosier said. “We’ve yet to win some really big road games, and that determines whether we go to the playoffs.”

—Staff writer Kevin T. Chen can be reached at ktchen@fas.harvard.edu.