Tournament seedings are often skewed by regional considerations, but since all first-round games are at southern host sites this year, the Crimson's standing must have been entirely based on its merit.

"We're finally getting the respect," Badawy said. "We've earned it. We put in the time."

The NCAA Tournament at-large bid was Harvard's just reward for its best regular season in nine years.

Since winning its first Ivy game of the season against Penn, staging a dramatic comeback from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in overtime, the Crimson has never looked back, winning a school-record six Ivy games on the season.

Although Harvard's Ivy title chances fell apart after a narrow 2-0 defeat at the hands of seven-time defending league champion Princeton, the Crimson knew full well that its hopes for an at-large berth were still alive.

Harvard won three of its remaining four games in convincing fashion, with its only loss coming at the hands of Boston University on one day of rest in horrific weather.

Following up on its convincing 4-0 win over Columbia on Saturday, the Crimson will look to take its program to new heights with its first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament next Saturday.