SPORTS BRIEF: Volleyball Falls to Holy Cross

Last night, the Harvard women’s volleyball team (2-6) travelled to Worcester, Mass., to face Holy Cross (5-8) at the Holy Cross Field House. The Crimson lost in three closely contested sets, 25-23, 25-20, 28-26.

In a match that was most notable for its frequent score changes, 11 in total in the first set of the match alone, Harvard proved unable to protect its leads or force errors at crucial points in the game. Tied in the opening frame at 23, the Crimson seemed poised to record its first winning set in nearly three matches, but Holy Cross charged back with two timely kills to snatch the set from Harvard.

In the second set, the Crimson again charged ahead with an early 10-2 lead, but ultimately dropped the set to the Crusaders after Holy Cross strung together a 10-2 run late in the frame.

In the third and final set, the Crusaders once again came back after trailing early to win by their largest margin of 28-26.

Harvard was led by sophomore Taylor Docter, who recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 12 digs. Freshman Natalie Doyle tallied 36 assists, while junior defensive specialist Christine Wu led the Crimson defense with 16 digs.

Holy Cross similarly was led by great performances from three of their key players. Sophomore Megan Lynch recorded 15 kills and 9 digs in the course of her match, while senior Chelsey O’Donnell tailed 35 assists. Most notably on the Crusader side, sophomore Elizabeth Watters recorded 11 digs to cap off her seventh double-digit performance in the season thus far.

Despite the Crimson’s hard fought loss, the match against Holy Cross showcased the remarkable potential that the Harvard women’s volleyball team currently holds.

“We pushed really hard throughout the game, and we had glimpses of what our team could be,” captain Anne Carroll Ingersoll said. “But we weren’t consistent in the way we played.”

The Harvard captain later added, “We have a very young team, so it’s hard for some of the younger girls who haven’t had the experiences that some of the upperclassmen have had.”

Despite the relative youth of this season’s women’s volleyball team, Ingersoll has been impressed with the performance of several freshmen.

“Teresa Skelly has been a really solid force on the team,” Ingersoll said. “You see her in practice working hard and the whole team definitely sees her effort...Natalie Doyle has great energy on the court that others can look towards, and Erin Cooney always seems to come in at clutch moments.”

The Crimson returns to action during the Northwestern Invitational Sept. 17-18, where Harvard will face off against Marquette, Charlotte and host Northwestern. The Crimson will start Ivy League play at Dartmouth on Sept. 24.