The No. 6 BYU men's volleyball team pulled off a tight four-set win against the Harvard Crimson Monday night at the Smith Fieldhouse.
Both the Cougars and the Crimson were coming off losses before the nonconference series in the middle of MPSF play. BYU swept Harvard Saturday night, 3-0.
BYU and Harvard exchanged points, tying the game 11 times with five lead changes to begin the match. Harvard pulled away late in the first set, gaining a four-point lead. Maintaining momentum, the Crimson won the set 25-21. Both teams struggled hitting, with the Cougars hitting only .138 and the Crimson hitting .192.
The Cougars got off to a quick start, gaining a seven-point lead early in the second set. Harvard was unable to answer BYU’s stretch, allowing BYU to dominate the rest of the set. The Cougars won the set 25-14. BYU’s defense was key with eight team blocks.
“Over time, that confidence kinda just builds ... and in the end, I think that got the win for us,” said outside hitter Miks Ramanis.
BYU and Harvard played toe-to-toe for most of the third set, neither fully gaining any true momentum. However, the Cougars broke away at the end of the set, winning 25-20, putting BYU up two sets heading into the fourth.
The fourth set got off to another tight start. Neither the Cougars nor the Crimson hit well, making it difficult to break away. The Cougars squeezed out the win 25-21, leaving BYU 14-6 on the season.
The Cougars have had a strong season so far, even amid adversity. BYU started its 13-starting lineup Monday, including a comeback from Ramanis and a position switch for transfer Cole Hauser.
“I am just happy to be out there again representing BYU and representing the team,” Ramanis said on coming back from injury.
BYU’s next match at the Smith Fieldhouse will be April 3 at 7 p.m.