Games of the Weekend

As some teams near the end of their seasons and others look to start with a bang, this weekend at Harvard will have a host of worthwhile games to follow.

Men’s Swimming and Diving versus Bryant

In its season-opener this Friday at Blodgett Pool, Harvard will take on Bryant for the first time ever in a regular season dual.

Harvard is a historically strong team that has never finished lower than second in the Ivy League conference. Returners include sophomore divers Bobby Ross and David Pfeifer, both of whom qualified for the 3-meter diving final last season. Junior Jack Manchester also returns as a formidable force in the backstroke events, having competed in the NCAA Championships last year and currently holding the conference record for the 200 backstroke.

The Bulldogs (4-1) have already competed in five meets this season, and are coming off a win over Iona. This meet will be one of four at home this year, and the only one this semester.

Women’s Volleyball versus Cornell and Columbia

For the last time this season, the Crimson will take to the familiar Malkin Athletic Center court in its quest for the Ivy League title this weekend. The Harvard squad (11-9, 7-3 Ivy) will look to defend its recently earned standing as first place in the conference against Cornell on Friday and Columbia on Saturday.

Both opponents are coming off strong victories. Last week, the Big Red came back 3-2 to beat Brown, with three players recording double-digits in kills, while the Lions beat Yale for the first time in 14 years. With only four games left in the season, every match counts.

In honor of the team’s last home games, the Crimson will recognize its four seniors, Caroline Holte, Hannah Schmidt, Sindhu Vegesena, and Kathleen Wallace. The Class of 2016 has left an impressive mark on the problem with a record of 35-17 in conference and 33-13 on its home court so far.

Men’s Ice Hockey versus Yale and Brown

The last time Harvard (2-0) faced Yale and Brown was in the last season’s ECAC playoffs. The Crimson came out with two victories, sweeping Brown 6-2, 4-3 in the opening round and taking down Yale in double overtime in the quarterfinals.

This weekend, Harvard will defend its four-game winning streak on its home rink. After capturing the championship of the Capital City Classic in New Jersey last weekend, an undefeated Bulldogs team (2-0) will look to avenge last year’s loss on Friday. The Crimson will then take on the Bears (0-1) on Saturday.