Crimson Receives Sophomore Spark

Some players worry about a sophomore slump. But for Taylor Docter, a second year on the volleyball court has just made her that much more important to her team’s offense.

The Harvard sophomore outside hitter made quite an impression from the moment she arrived in Cambridge in 2009, earning a starting role last fall during her first collegiate semester.

“Coming in [Docter] just added a lot to our team, in terms of energy and skills as an outside hitter,” co-captain Miyoko Pettit said. “As a starter as a freshman, she was able to get experience in some big games last year.”

And if Docter was intimidated by these daunting matchups, she certainly didn’t show it on the court.

She racked up 214 kills in her rookie season—good for third on the team—and 20 service aces, as the Crimson improved from 5-9 to 8-6 in the Ivy League, including a final-weekend victory over then-undefeated Penn.

“[Taylor] handled the starting role so well last year,” said junior co-captain Anne Carroll Ingersoll. “I love having her on the court with me. It’s easy to gel with her, and she brings excitement and energy to the court, which is an invaluable asset to the team.”

With Ingersoll, Docter, and top offensive threat senior Mikaelle Comrie returning, Harvard appeared primed for an even better season this fall.

But early on, it appeared that the Crimson had instead taken a big step backwards, as it dropped 10 of its first 12 contests, including seven in a row.

Starting this weekend, Docter decided that enough was enough. After Harvard opened its contest against Columbia on Friday by dropping the first two sets, the Crimson sophomore went to work at net, sending kills all over the court.

Docter finished with a team-leading 17, to go along with a game-high five service aces, and Harvard roared back for its first conference win of the season.

“[Docter] trained a lot this summer trying to improve her game, and you could tell…especially this weekend,” Pettit said. “She came out with a bang and was very, very consistent.”

“Taylor has definitely become our go-to hitter,” Ingersoll added. “I have complete faith that when the setter sets the ball out to her, she’s going to get the job done. That’s the feeling you want to get with your teammate.”

And with sophomore Beth Kinsella dishing flawlessly to Docter, all of a sudden the Crimson looked like a different team.

The squad dropped its opening set on Saturday against Cornell as well, but with Docter once again taking control—leading all players with 13 kills—Harvard walked away with its second-straight conference victory and hopes of another winning Ivy season.

“This weekend was a turning point, because the preseason was difficult and we were struggling through some things,” junior libero Christine Wu said. “After falling behind and actually pushing through and finishing [a win], that really proved to our team how good we are and what great things are in store.”

But the weekend’s offensive explosion, while encouraging for the Crimson, was far from a revelation for Docter.

The sophomore has quietly put together another stellar season, even in the midst of her team’s early struggles.

With 122 kills on the year, Docter has evolved from being among her team’s best attackers to being the primary target on offense.

While the second-year player’s attack percentage is down—from .161 last year to .154 thus far in 2010—her team-leading kill total has come on a whopping 468 attempts, over 100 more than the next Crimson hitter. Clearly, the team feels that Docter has come into her own on the court.

“[Docter] has always had a lot of talent, but one big thing is that she’s grown up a lot in a sense and is a lot more mature,” Wu said. “She’s stepping up and taking on the role of a leader on the court.”

“She’s matured a lot as a player and as a person,” Pettit agreed. “She’s always been a confident player, but her experience from last year has really translated…I think her court awareness has improved a lot in terms of finding open holes. She’s a very smart player.”

Clearly, the sophomore hitter has done enough to impress her teammates. If Docter keeps up her strong play, she’ll continue to dazzle opponents as well.

—Staff writer Max N. Brondfield can be reached at mbrondf@fas.harvard.edu.