"We played very close to our peak," Denniston added. "They got better from last year, but this win was a good way to start the season."

Jellin and senior Kristin Priscella led a strong defensive effort by the Crimson, with 16 and 13 digs, respectively.

Denniston and Lutich are currently among the Ivy League's best in kills. Entering Friday's match, Denniston was ranked third in the Ivy at 3.74 per game, closely trailing Cornell's Robin Moore. Lutich was seventh in the conference in kills at 3.17 per game, and also fourth in the Ivy in digs with an average of 3.90.

Harvard now has the next four days to rest before a tough road trip this weekend. The Crimson will visit Princeton on Friday night to take on a tough Tigers squad that boasts an 11-3 overall record. After finishing the match, the Crimson will once again hit the road and travel to Philadelphia for an early Saturday afternoon match against Penn (8-6).

"It's hard when we're on the road,"

Lutich said. "But we have to come in focused and forget about everything else except the current match."

One of the main goals for the Crimson this season has been improve its communication on the court. With many underclassmen playing a significant role on the team, this goal has taken on even greater importance.

"That's been one of our problems this season," Lutich said. "We need to improve on the way we communicate with each other on the floor."