Postponing a Harvard graduation does have its merits.

At the end of last year's fall season, volleyball Co-Captain Jodi Cassell decided to take the spring semester off, thus delaying her graduation for a year and earning herself an extra season of eligibility to play volleyball.

"I took the spring off for personal reasons," Cassell said. "I was trying to figure out what profession I wanted to go into. It was really nice; it worked out that I could play volleyball."

Since she did not play volleyball during her junior year, Cassell still had a season of eligibility left. The team was so pleased that she was coming back that it elected her co-captain--along with Maia Forman--for the 1987 season.

"I'm glad she came back," Forman said. "People look up to her. She's a real leader on the court."

"The fact that she came back shows that she is dedicated," junior teammate Susie Nemes said.

When she returned, Cassell brought with her a new outlook.

Discouraged with the program after the spikers floundered in her sophomore year, Cassell chose not to play volleyball her junior year. She returned last year, but--despite having a new coach--the team still finished with a disappointing 5-16 record.

"I was hoping that the team would get better," Cassell said. "When you start out with a new coach, it's hard to get to know the system. It takes a while to work together. Having people back and working together for two years makes a big difference."

The difference has been obvious. The Crimson has begun the season with a strong 11-6 record, the best start in the squad's seven-year history.

"We've done a good job beating the scrub teams," Cassell said. "Now we've got to take the next step and beat the teams that take a little more effort. At some time, we're going to start beating Yale, Penn, and Princeton. I hope we start with some of those wins while I'm here."

Cassell had never played volleyball until her sophomore year at Harvard. In high school, she played tennis, basketball and softball. She played varsity basketball in her freshman year at Harvard, but decided to give volleyball a try her sophomore year. Since then, she has steadily improved as a strong middle blocker and center back.

"She improved over the summer," Forman said. "She's a hard worker and will put in the extra time. She does short sets effectively and is a good passer."

Cassell also has the advantages of height and strength, for which she's earned the nickname "Amazon."

"She's our strongest player and very consistent on the whole," Nemes said. "She's very intelligent at the net and can see the spots on the other team's court."