Freshman Keeps Harvard in Hunt

Before entering college last fall, volleyball freshman Matt Jones set a goal for himself.

“I definitely came in wanting to play right away,” Jones says. “I figured that if I come in and work hard, I would get my shot.”

He certainly got much more than he wished for.

As personal ambition turned into reality, Jones quickly transitioned from an anxious rookie to a regular starter who has become a dominating force on the court.

His contributions have rejuvenated a Harvard team currently sitting atop the EIVA Hay Division standings and on the verge of making the playoffs for the first time in over five years.

And while the upperclassmen deserve just as much credit for the program’s rapid resurgence, Jones has brought renewed enthusiasm to the team, as well as a skill set that has caught the attention of his teammates and coach.

“I knew he’d come out of one of the top club programs in the country,” Crimson coach Brian Baise says. “The first thing I noticed was his attitude and approach; he is extremely hard working. It was clear how much he was looking forward to play. For a freshman, he plays an integral part on the team both on and off the court.”

“Matt came in right away and showed us that he had amazing work ethic and a lot of heart,” co-captain Brady Weissbourd says. “He’s been a great teammate the entire time.”

Signs of good things to come became apparent when Jones, in his first collegiate game against Springfield, accounted for seven kills and five digs.

And while the promise of playing time drew Jones to the Crimson in the first place, the unexpected departure of prized recruit Nikola Ivica pushed the freshman further into the limelight and on to the front lines of a depleted team roster.

Always the opportunist, Jones quickly relished his elevated role.

“It doesn’t really matter to me where I play,” Jones says. “At the beginning of the season, Coach decided to play me at opposite [hitter]. That was fun. But ever since I got moved to outside hitter, I’ve had to have more responsibility. For the first game or two on the outside, I didn’t play that effectively, but since then, I think I’ve handled it pretty well.”

Ever since that switch, Jones has earned respect from his teammates and coach for playing a strong supporting role behind Weissbourd.

In fact, the freshman phenom is as versatile as they come, hitting a respectable .212 while notching 189 kills to go along with his 79 digs and 28 blocks on the season. In addition, Jones earned Hay Division Player of the Week honors eight games into the season after posting a match-high 15 kills in a losing effort to Princeton.

“Matt is exactly what you look for in a player,” Weissbourd says. “He can play anywhere on the court. He’s a great all-around player and athlete—he’ll pass the ball and set as well as anyone else on the team. He can do it all.”

“It’s a meritocracy,” Jones says. “If you can get on the court, the seniors will treat you like an upperclassman.”

But that doesn’t mean Jones hasn’t been playing the role of freshman. Always humble and ready to learn, Jones listens whenever an upperclassman or coach has advice to give.

“Erik [Kuld] helped me out earlier this year,” Jones says. “Little things like keeping my elbow higher have helped me a lot. I’ve had to get used to the bigger blocks, so the upperclassmen have been working with me on those adjustments.”

We’ve worked a lot on his passing this year and he’s come a long way with that,” Baise says.

Given Jones’s veteran-like performances on the court, it’s hard to imagine that the La Jolla, Calif., native did not begin playing volleyball until his freshman year of high school.

“My mom played volleyball in high school, but growing up, I started playing basketball,” Jones says. “I didn’t really know much about volleyball, so I decided to try it out and play JV.”

It quickly became clear, however, that Jones had more of a knack for spiking the ball than shooting it.

Encouraged by his parents and coaches, the young player signed up for club volleyball and was soon noticed by college coaches.

“I’d always wanted to play sports in college; I just realized that my chances were a lot better in volleyball than basketball,” Jones says.

Like many kids on the West Coast, Jones set his sights on Stanford. But after being deferred in the early admissions process, he began to look at the Ivy League.

“One day, I got a call from Harvard,” Jones says. “It was kind of funny because I didn’t know my parents sent my highlight DVD to Harvard. It wasn’t really in my mind.”

In the end, the chance to receive more playing time as well as a renowned education was too good to turn down, and Jones arrived on campus ready to make a statement. So far, he has, and opponents and teammates alike have started to take notice.

“Matt could be the best player in the world if he wanted it to be,” Weissbourd says. Then, he chuckles, before adding, “That’s a bold statement.”

Bold indeed, but not inappropriate for a player like Jones.

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