Conference News

2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 | 2011-12

March 30, 2009

Harvard Overcomes Early 2-0 Deficit To Defeat NYU

Harvard Overcomes Early 2-0 Deficit To Defeat NYU

NEW YORK - New York University grabbed the first two sets, but the Harvard men's
volleyball team came back strong as the Crimson defeated the Violets, 3-2, Saturday afternoon at the Coles Sports Center. The win, the team's sixth in the past seven matches, improved Harvard's record to 9-6 overall and 4-1 in the EIVA Hay Division.

After dropping the first set, 30-28, Harvard forced the second into extra points before NYU came away with the win, 35-33. Harvard's defense then stepped up in the third and fourth sets, limiting the Violet offense to an attack percentage under .200 in a pair of 30-26 wins. Harvard then knocked down 11 kills with no errors to take the fifth and deciding set, 15-13. The win keeps Harvard in second place behind Rutgers Newark (5-1) in the Hay Division.

Senior Brady Weissbourd had a solid match for the Crimson, slamming home 31 kills on 63 swings with a career-high 12 blocks, seven digs and two assists. Freshman Matt Jones posted 17 kills, seven digs and five blocks, while junior Erik Kuld chipped in with 15 kills and four digs. Junior Gil Weintraub handed out 66 assists, just one off his career high, with six digs, five blocks and two service aces. Devin Zolnowski had 30 kills to lead the way for NYU (6-18, 2-3).

Harvard took an early lead in the first set, 6-3, on a NYU attack error. The Violets would keep things close, though, as the Crimson would get the lead back up to three only one other time early on at 10-7. Harvard had an answer for every Violet point, including back-to-back kills by Weissbourd that put the Crimson back up by two after NYU had tied it at 16-all. A kill by Kuld finally got the lead back to three at 26-23, but NYU would block two straight attacks by Jones to tie it at 26-26. Zolnowski gave the Violets the lead for good with a kill at 28-27, as NYU took the first set, 30-28.

Head coach Brian Baise's team again found itself in the lead early in the second set after a NYU attack error gave the Crimson an 8-5 advantage. Four straight points by the Violets, including three blocks, gave them the lead at 9-8, but a kill by Weissbourd got Harvard the lead back at 12-10. Michael Ferragonio knocked down two kills to put NYU up, 16-15, and the teams would trade points and the lead from there on out. The teams would trade serves 17 times during a 21-serve span, with NYU going up by two at 25-23 on a Crimson attack error. The Violets called a timeout after three straight points by Harvard gave the team a 28-27 lead. The Crimson would kill off three different match point serves by NYU before a block gave the Violets the 35-33 win.

Early in the third set, Harvard would post three points in a row on two different occasions to give the team the early lead at 7-3. NYU would hang tough, getting the deficit down to one at 11-10 on a Crimson attack error. Harvard would then score five points during a six-serve span, finished by a Weissbourd block that made it 16-11. The Violets called a timeout after they found themselves down by five at 18-13, but NYU scored six points during a period of seven serves as the lead for Harvard shrank to one, 20-19, forcing Baise to call a timeout. The teams traded points until Weissbourd would slam down two kills and block two NYU attacks within a five-point span to get the lead back to four at 26-22. The Violets would get the deficit down to two at 28-26, by a kill and service ace by Jones sealed the 30-26 win.

NYU was forced into calling an early timeout after Harvard went up, 4-0, to start the fourth set. A NYU attack error made it 6-1, but the lead shrank to one for Harvard at 8-7 after three straight Crimson attack errors. The Violets tied the score seven different times before finally gaining the lead on a Zolnowski kill at 19-18. Kills by Weissbourd and Jones and an attack error by NYU's Luke Hamlet gave Harvard the lead back at 22-21, and from there the teams
would trade points for the next eight serves. Harvard then put the set out of reach with four straight points, the last on a Weintraub service ace, before a NYU attack error finished the 30-26 Crimson win.

Neither team could put a run together to open the fifth set until two kills by Kuld during a three-point run put the Crimson up, 7-5. Zolnowski tied it up at 8-8 with a kill of his own, but NYU called a timeout after Jones and Weissbourd blocked an attack by Zolnowski to get Harvard back up by two at 11-9. From there NYU was unable to string together two straight points needed to tie the set up, as Kuld sealed the match win with a kill to make it 15-13.



Home \| Releases \| Match Calendar \| Standings \| Statistics \| Members \| Tournament \| Awards \| Links
Conference News 2005-06 \| 2006-07 \| 2007-08 \| 2008-09 \| 2009-10 \| 2010-11 \| 2011-12 March 30, 2009 Harvard Overcomes Early 2-0 Deficit To Defeat NYU Harvard Overcomes Early 2-0 Deficit To Defeat NYU NEW YORK - New York University grabbed the first two sets, but the Harvard men's volleyball team came back strong as the Crimson defeated the Violets, 3-2, Saturday afternoon at the Coles Sports Center. The win, the team's sixth in the past seven matches, improved Harvard's record to 9-6 overall and 4-1 in the EIVA Hay Division. After dropping the first set, 30-28, Harvard forced the second into extra points before NYU came away with the win, 35-33. Harvard's defense then stepped up in the third and fourth sets, limiting the Violet offense to an attack percentage under .200 in a pair of 30-26 wins. Harvard then knocked down 11 kills with no errors to take the fifth and deciding set, 15-13. The win keeps Harvard in second place behind Rutgers Newark (5-1) in the Hay Division. Senior Brady Weissbourd had a solid match for the Crimson, slamming home 31 kills on 63 swings with a career-high 12 blocks, seven digs and two assists. Freshman Matt Jones posted 17 kills, seven digs and five blocks, while junior Erik Kuld chipped in with 15 kills and four digs. Junior Gil Weintraub handed out 66 assists, just one off his career high, with six digs, five blocks and two service aces. Devin Zolnowski had 30 kills to lead the way for NYU (6-18, 2-3). Harvard took an early lead in the first set, 6-3, on a NYU attack error. The Violets would keep things close, though, as the Crimson would get the lead back up to three only one other time early on at 10-7. Harvard had an answer for every Violet point, including back-to-back kills by Weissbourd that put the Crimson back up by two after NYU had tied it at 16-all. A kill by Kuld finally got the lead back to three at 26-23, but NYU would block two straight attacks by Jones to tie it at 26-26. Zolnowski gave the Violets the lead for good with a kill at 28-27, as NYU took the first set, 30-28. Head coach Brian Baise's team again found itself in the lead early in the second set after a NYU attack error gave the Crimson an 8-5 advantage. Four straight points by the Violets, including three blocks, gave them the lead at 9-8, but a kill by Weissbourd got Harvard the lead back at 12-10. Michael Ferragonio knocked down two kills to put NYU up, 16-15, and the teams would trade points and the lead from there on out. The teams would trade serves 17 times during a 21-serve span, with NYU going up by two at 25-23 on a Crimson attack error. The Violets called a timeout after three straight points by Harvard gave the team a 28-27 lead. The Crimson would kill off three different match point serves by NYU before a block gave the Violets the 35-33 win. Early in the third set, Harvard would post three points in a row on two different occasions to give the team the early lead at 7-3. NYU would hang tough, getting the deficit down to one at 11-10 on a Crimson attack error. Harvard would then score five points during a six-serve span, finished by a Weissbourd block that made it 16-11. The Violets called a timeout after they found themselves down by five at 18-13, but NYU scored six points during a period of seven serves as the lead for Harvard shrank to one, 20-19, forcing Baise to call a timeout. The teams traded points until Weissbourd would slam down two kills and block two NYU attacks within a five-point span to get the lead back to four at 26-22. The Violets would get the deficit down to two at 28-26, by a kill and service ace by Jones sealed the 30-26 win. NYU was forced into calling an early timeout after Harvard went up, 4-0, to start the fourth set. A NYU attack error made it 6-1, but the lead shrank to one for Harvard at 8-7 after three straight Crimson attack errors. The Violets tied the score seven different times before finally gaining the lead on a Zolnowski kill at 19-18. Kills by Weissbourd and Jones and an attack error by NYU's Luke Hamlet gave Harvard the lead back at 22-21, and from there the teams would trade points for the next eight serves. Harvard then put the set out of reach with four straight points, the last on a Weintraub service ace, before a NYU attack error finished the 30-26 Crimson win. Neither team could put a run together to open the fifth set until two kills by Kuld during a three-point run put the Crimson up, 7-5. Zolnowski tied it up at 8-8 with a kill of his own, but NYU called a timeout after Jones and Weissbourd blocked an attack by Zolnowski to get Harvard back up by two at 11-9. From there NYU was unable to string together two straight points needed to tie the set up, as Kuld sealed the match win with a kill to make it 15-13.