NEW YORK--It was after Harvard played Cornell in the Ivy League women's volleyball tournament. The team had returned to the Ramada Inn in New Jersey where, coincidentally, the Princeton squad was also staying.

I was in the hallway, returning to my room, when a Princeton player walked up to me and said, "Better luck next year."

I had to inform her, quite politely of course, that Harvard was still in the tournament. It was Cornell that had lost.

The Crimson, seeded sixth in the tournament, surprised not only that Princeton player, but an entire troop of volleyball experts and fans on its way to finishing third in the tourney--two points away from the finals.

For the Crimson, expectations had never been high.

Two years ago, Harvard finished with a 4-17 record, the worst since the squad started varsity play in 1981. But last year, Harvard had a new coach and a new attitude.

Even though the squad finished with a 5-16 record, the spikers played competitively. This year, the Crimson entered the tournament with a 15-9 overall record, 3-4 in the league.

But when it came tournament time, Harvard hit the floor with the confidence of a winner, making diving saves to keep rallies alive, fighting for every point. Bench players cheered on their teammates and entertained the 200 fans with their own version of "The Wave." When Harvard took a set, the players rushed the court to congratulate the victors.

Because of its enthusiastic play and underdog status, the Crimson quickly became the crowd favorite, receiving support from teams that were already eliminated. Even Penn, which was sitting pretty in the winners' bracket, rooted for Harvard.

Harvard began the tournament on a sour note when it fell to Cornell in straight sets. The Crimson dropped into the losers' bracket, one loss away from elimination.

Somehow, though, Harvard kept winning. And winning.

After crushing Dartmouth in straight sets, it was payback time. Yale had blown out the Crimson in the regular season. Now, if Harvard had its way, the Elis would be on the losing end.

While watching the Yale-Princeton match, several spectators commented on Yale's hard hitters. But Harvard Coach Wayne Lem mumbled to himself that he wasn't impressed. Quietly, he predicted a Harvard victory.

Too bad Las Vegas wasn't offering odds on the contest. Lem would have cleaned up.

The underdog Crimson pounded Yale in four sets, and afterward, Yale Coach Peggy Scofield was virtually speechless. All she could say was that Harvard had played the match of its life.