"We're a really close team," she says. "That helps out a lot. We do other things besides volleyball together. We can talk to each other, and we don't have any cliques."

She also feels that Lem has been the catalyst for the program's recent success.

"Wayne's a great coach," she says. "He rebuilt the program from scratch. He's done a great job letting people know their roles on the team."

Schossberger also formed a devastating combination on the court with Forman. Together, this duo has sparked the Crimson with agressive play. As a result, Harvard is now one of the top three programs in the Ivy League.

"Maia was basically the only person on the team with experience," Schossberger says. "She was the backbone of the team. She is a type of person that makes everyone else around her better."

Last year, Schossberger began to enjoy the success that she once took for granted in high school. The Crimson finished the season with an 18-10 record, the best ever for a Harvard squad.

Seeded sixth in last year's Ivy League tournament, the Crimson finished in third place--just two points shy of the final. The sqaud lost the deciding set to eventual champion Princeton, 15-13.

"It was a tough loss," Schossberger says. "We had several match points, and we didn't put them away. We should have won the match, but overall, it was still a great tourney."

A versatile athlete, the 5-ft., 7-in. Schossberger has also excelled in track at Harvard. Before coming to Cambridge, she was also a star tennis player, winning two state singles titles.

"She's a leader on and off the court," teammate Carolyn Burger says. "She's an all-around athlete. It's great setting to her. She can blast just about any ball."

"Besides having all-around athletic ability, she's a very intelligent player," Co-Captain Susie Nemes says. "She knows when to use each one of her skills. She's definitely our best hitter, and she's a great defensive player."

Schossberger and her teammates have set out to improve on last year's third-place finish. Harvard is currently in a first-place tie with Princeton and Brown.

"She's an excellent hitter, but it shouldn't be forgotten that she's also an excellent backcourt player," Forman says. "She's an all-around player. Manda is almost singlehandily our entire offense right now."

It's the fifth set of the Cornell match, and Harvard puts the match, away with a spike. After the match, Cyndy comes to give her sister a hug and asks her about her right thumb, which has torn ligaments.

After the team meeting and celebration, Schossberger picks up her bag and walks out with her sister.

It's just another day at the MAC.

But the moments are still there.