First Win Eludes Harvard Again

Dropping each of the first two sets by only two points, the Harvard men’s volleyball team still had hopes of mounting a comeback for its first win of the season. But the Crimson was not able to pull through in the final frame, suffering a loss to its fellow Cantabrigians last night.

Despite a strong showing early on, Harvard (0-6) fell hard, 3-0, to MIT (12-4) at duPont Gymnasium.

“The first two sets, we were right in it with them,” said sophomore outside hitter Matt Jones, who had five kills and a block. “We had some opportunities at the end and we just couldn’t follow through to get the clutch points.”

The first set saw plenty of action from start to finish.

Except for a four-point deficit mid-set, the Crimson battled hard against the Engineers’ tough lineup and kept the score very tight.

With a kill by co-captain Erik Kuld, Harvard tied the score at 29, and it seemed as though the Crimson’s momentum would carry it through to a victory.

But a kill from MIT co-captain Mike Demyttenaere and an attack error by Harvard resulted in a tough loss, 31-29.

The second set also showed promise. Sophomore middle blocker Nikola Ivica brought the Crimson back from behind with a seven-point service run, but the team ultimately could not hold on for the win, and it dropped the set, 30-28.

“We showed some fortitude in being able to come back,” said co-captain outside hitter Gil Weintraub. “But it’s really tough to come from behind the entire game.”

In the third set, a different rotation of players took the court.

“We’re trying different lineups,” Weintraub said. “We’re working with a very depleted roster, and so people are playing in different positions.”

Despite the change, Harvard lost the third set to the Engineers, 30-19.

Harvard second-year coach Brian Baise noted the large impact injuries have had on the Crimson’s rocky start to the season.

“Four of our six players are playing out of position,” Baise said. “They haven’t practiced or trained to play there. It’s essentially starting from scratch.”

Having sprained both ankles four weeks ago, freshman Paul Glootz is just starting to practice with the team again. Also injured is middle blocker Soren Rosier. A dislocated shoulder has kept Rosier on the bench for the past two weeks.

Junior middle blocker Shaun Mansour will be out for the entire season, the result of a torn ACL sustained during fall training.

“When things don’t go well, we don’t have anyone to turn to or a lineup to change,” Baise said.

Despite its heavily-depleted roster, Harvard’s team showed flashes of potential.

Co-captain outside hitter Erik Kuld had a strong showing with a team-high 16 kills on the night. Weintraub also played well, demonstrating his versatility with 10 kills and 12 assists.

Freshman setter Rob Lothman had 26 assists against the Engineers, key in helping his hitters to get the kill.

In addition to his key service run, Ivica contributed four blocks and six kills.

“The team is playing extremely hard,” Baise said. “Their morale given the challenges is good—they’re determined.”

Weintraub reflected the positive attitude in his thoughts on the Crimson’s next match against UC Santa Barbara.

“Each match is an opportunity to change what’s happening and start anew,” Weintraub said. “We’re hoping to start with this game to pick up the pieces and start playing ball.”

Jones echoed the optimism in his hopes for the rest of the season.

“We just have to win those clutch points down the stretch and establish a tone of winning to get us back on track,” Jones said.