Men's Volleyball Sweeps Weekend

This weekend, it took the Harvard men’s volleyball team only two hours and six sets to dispatch Emmanuel and Alderson Broaddus in nonconference action at the Malkin Athletic Center.

In both matches, the No. 15 Crimson (3-3) posted high kill percentages en route to straight-set victories.

“We did the little things pretty well,” Harvard coach Brian Baise said. “This weekend, we defended well…and we’re making good decisions on offense. We’re not making a lot of unforced errors.”

HARVARD 3, ALDERSON BROADDUS 0

With Harvard holding a 24-21 lead in the second set, the visiting Battlers (2-1) were doing something they had done frequently over the last 40 minutes: scrambling.

A mishandled pass sent blue-and-yellow players racing off the court, but hustling proved futile, as a desperation punch collided with the rafters and ended the set.

On a day of desperate sprinting, the Battlers could not outrun defeat, falling 3-0 to the Crimson in just over an hour.

Offensive efficiency propelled Harvard to victory, with the hosts recording a .383 hitting percentage. Alderson Broaddus finished with a .023 mark.

“It starts with our passing,” co-captain Caleb Zimmick said. “Both setters are working really well…[but] our serving can probably be a little bit better and tougher.”

Strong attacking was on display in the first frame, when the Crimson opened play on a 20-7 tear that included two 5-0 runs. The hosts racked up 13 first-set kills and just one error en route to a 25-13 win.

The Battlers showed signs of life in the third set, playing Harvard to a 6-6 deadlock. However, over the next seven points, Alderson Broaddus committed six attack errors and ultimately handed the set to the Crimson, 25-17.

Sophomore outside hitter Casey White and Zimmick led Harvard in kills with nine and eight, respectively. From the setter position, sophomore Nick Bendell managed the attack and collected 28 assists.

“Coach really emphasized treating ever match like it’s [No. 1] Loyola,” White said. “We’re trying to keep that intensity throughout everything.”

HARVARD 3, EMMANUEL 0

On Friday night, the Crimson used a pair of late-set runs to transform a couple of close games against the Saints into a blowout performance. Helped by critical errors by Emmanuel (0-1), Harvard earned a 3-0 victory at the Malkin Athletic Center.

Junior outside hitter Branden Clemens topped the Crimson with nine kills, and White was right behind with eight. However, the defense may have been the most productive form of offense, as the squad won 11 points with blocks.

“We’ve been working really hard in practice on our blocks,” White said. “Last year, we were not that great blocking-wise…so this year, we came in wanting to block better.”

Despite winning the first seven points of the third set, Harvard watched the Saints claw back to 14-13. However, the Crimson responded with its strongest stretch of the day, an 11-1 streak that culminated in three consecutive errors by Emmanuel.

The same narrative concluded Harvard’s second set. After reaching a 19-19 tie, the Crimson closed out the game with a 6-2 run that included four attacking errors by the Saints and two kills by Clemens.

Throughout the match, Harvard’s greatest foe was itself—or, more specifically, its own serving difficulties. Against Emmanuel, the team averaged nearly five service errors per set.

“Part of that is we’re really trying to be more aggressive,” Baise said. “With that comes some errors…. Part of it is confidence, just getting into a groove.”

But as soon as a rally began, the Crimson attack was hard to stop, as evidenced by .342 kill percentage. In the first set, which Harvard took, 25-16, the hosts played the last 20 points without an error.

By contrast, the Saints finished the game with a negative hitting efficiency.

“We’re hoping to compete at the top,” Zimmick said. “We’ve had some good wins, and I’m really excited with where we’re at and where we can go.”

—Staff writer Sam Danello can be reached at sdanello@college.harvard.edu.