"We came out a little flat early," Pankau said. "We lost our confidence a bit. But we kept at it, played our game, and chipped away."
Junior outside hitter Joe Herger and senior middle blocker Evan Mager also turned in exceptional performances last night.
Herger notched 11 kills and 2 service aces and dug out 14 balls. Mager edged Herger in kills with 12 to accompany his 8 digs and 5 blocks.
Harvard played last night's game on its home court, and that has proved a distinct advantage in the two teams' recent match-ups.
Last year, Harvard traveled down to Rhode Island and lost 3-0. The Hawks were only grabbing a measure of revenge for its 3-0 defeat two seasons ago at the MAC.
"Its always a battle with Roger Williams, and home court is an advantage," Lewis said. "They are a very consistent team."
The Crimson snapped a two game losing streak with its win last night, having fallen to Princeton and Rutgers Newark over the weekend. It now gears up for a Saturday doubleheader against NJIT and SUNY-New Paltz.
"I think we could have blown the match after the second game," Lewis said. "We held on and came back. That's nice to see."
It's certainly nice to see, even it the means burying yet another American.