Harvard Bests Saint Francis In A Back And Forth Five Set Battle

Harvard men’s volleyball triumphed over Saint Francis in five sets on Saturday night. The Crimson (4-5, 2-2 EIVA) bested the Red Flash (6-9, 3-3 EIVA) with set scores of 23-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-16 and 17-15.

Freshman setter Matthew Ctvrtlik led Harvard with 13 kills and 21 digs during the contest. Marko Kostich added 33 helpers and six blocks, while Casey White notched his fifth double-double of the season with 11 kills and 11 digs.

Harvard was down 7-12 in the first set, when Kostich stepped up with a big kill from Ctvrtlik to start a 10-6 run for the Crimson. Despite 12 kills for Harvard, the Crimson was not able to overcome Saint Francis in the first set, falling 23-25.

Harvard went off running in the second stanza, boasting out to a 14-11 lead over the Red Flash. Ctvrtlik and White rattled off four kills in the first half of the frame, while Trevor Dow contributed two kills. Riley Moore added two stoppers in the second set, with support from White and Kostich who added one block each.

The Crimson attack commanded the floor in the beginning of the third set, rattling off a 10-8 advantage. The Red Flash capitalized on three attack errors during the middle of set to gain back control, eventually taking the set, 25-23.

Although the Red Flash added nine kills to the board, Harvard’s defense dominated the court once again. Moore notched three additional stoppers in the fourth set, with assistance from White, Dow, and Kostich. The Crimson limited their opponent to a .100 percentage in the stretch.

In the decisive fifth set, Harvard and Saint Francis traded points until it was notched at 14-14. Dow registered the winning kill for the Crimson, Harvard taking the set 17-15. Harvard recorded a match best .353 hitting percentage in the fifth set, while the Red Flash were stopped by there attack errors and five service errors.