Spikers Rebound Over Holy Cross

The NCAA championship it was not, but certainly it was an important win.

The Harvard women's volleyball team took the first step toward resurrecting its season last night with an exciting five-set win over Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

Rallying from a 2-1 set deficit, the tenacious Crimson won the marathon match with outstanding communication and enthusiasm in the latter stages.

"Really Picked It Up"

"After we got down in the first three sets, we really picked it up in the last two," said Assistant Coach Jennifer Bates. "The team members talked to each other a lot better toward the end."

Junior Ngozi Ogbunamiri led the Crimson last night in kills, repeatedly spiking the ball through the Crusaders defense and scoring at key points throughout the evening.

Joining Ogbunarmiri in the scoring action were freshman Jennifer Jose, who comes to Harvard after an illustrious high school career in Napa, Calif., and sophomore Jessica Downie, a strong all-around player.

Senior Michelle Carlo led the team in assists, setting the ball up for teammates and masterfully decoying the Holy Cross blockers.

Scrappy Crimson 'D'

The scrappy Crimson defense, which has served as the team's hallmark throughout the young season, was led by Kelly Ayers, a blocker who anchors the front line and who stuffed numerous Crusader spike attempts.

With the win, Harvard raised its record to 3-5 heading into official Ivy League play against Dartmouth next Tuesday.

"We played Dartmouth tough in the Harvard Classic, but those games didn't count in the standings," said Bates. "We are looking forward to meeting them again, when it counts."

Head Coach Wayne Lem and his staff can be thankful that standout Jennifer Garcia will be coming back for the Ivy League contests.

Garcia, perhaps the best setter on the Crimson team, has been out of action recently and missed the game last night.

Season No Picnic

Lem's team has its work cut out for the rest of the season. The squads from Brown and Princeton showed flashes of potential with strong showings at the end of last season, while title favorite Yale boasts three returning All-Ivy players.

The Crimson has a long way to go before thinking about challenging those teams at the top of the Ivy standings. As Bates described it, the team is viewing its season one match at a time.

For last night, at least, Harvard's aim was right on.

HARVARD, 3-2 at Worcester, Mass. Harvard  16  10  8  15  15  -3 Holy Cross  14  15  15  6  13  -2