Harvard Men’s Volleyball lost its second match of the week to No. 16 Penn State, falling 1-3 in State College, Pennsylvania. The Crimson now holds a record of 2-9 overall and 0-4 in EIVA conference play, while Penn State improves to 9-4 and remains undefeated in conference matches.
In the opening set, Harvard kept pace with Penn State early but was unable to recover after a mid-set run by the Nittany Lions. The Crimson responded in the second set with strong defensive efforts at the net. Owen Woolbert contributed consecutive block assists that helped disrupt Penn State’s attack. Sawyer Nichols led offensively for Harvard, recording multiple kills and two service aces, while Quinn Bishop added important points as well. Zach Berty closed out the set with a kill that tied the match at one set each.
The third set was closely contested, featuring extended rallies and balanced offensive contributions from Harvard’s rotation. However, Penn State managed to edge ahead by the end of the frame.
In the fourth set, Harvard’s top scorers continued to contribute kills but were unable to slow down Penn State’s momentum as they widened their lead and secured the win.
Throughout the match, Harvard recorded ten kills in both sets two and three, maintaining consistent offensive pressure despite not being able to force a fifth set.
Sawyer Nichols finished with 14 kills, seven digs, and three service aces for Harvard. Owen Woolbert added eight kills and four blocks while achieving his second-best performance of the season with a .500 hitting percentage. Setter Adrian Shevchuk improved on his previous outing by tallying 31 assists and helping guide Harvard to a .400 team hitting mark during stretches of play. Thomas Phung anchored defensive efforts at the back of the court with several challenging saves.
Next on their schedule, Harvard will return home to Cambridge for two matches against University of Charleston on February 27th at 7:00 PM and February 28th at 1:00 PM. Both games will be available via streaming on ESPN+.
