Harvard Men’s Volleyball lost to No. 16 Penn State in a three-set match on Friday night in State College, Pennsylvania. The Nittany Lions set the pace early, taking control of the first set as Harvard struggled with defensive coverage and missed opportunities.
In the second set, Harvard responded with stronger net play and improved blocking. Sawyer Nichols delivered consecutive service aces that led Penn State to call a timeout. Owen Woolbert contributed several late points, helping Harvard force extra points in the set while achieving a .364 hitting percentage.
The third set saw Harvard tighten its defense, with Thomas Phung making key digs and calls from the back row. Despite these efforts, Penn State managed to close out the match.
Key performances for Harvard included Zach Berty with five kills and four block assists, Owen Woolbert adding five kills and three block assists, and Brian Thomas contributing three kills and four block assists.
Harvard will face Penn State again at 3:00 p.m. Saturday in its fourth conference match of the season. The game will be available for streaming on Big10+.
