What began as a promising season for the women's volleyball team ended in disappointment with an abrupt first-round exit at the Ivy tournament.

"It's disappointing to make an early exit from the Ivy tournament, and that was especially true this year because we hosted Ivies at Harvard," said co-captain Sarah Mattson.

In spite of the raw talent and depth that abounded on this year's roster, the Crimson (14-13, 2-5 Ivy) was unable to concoct the perfect mixture of experience and youthful enthusiasm. As a result, the team was unable to close out important games and hold its own against Ivy rivals.

In what became a disturbing trend throughout the season, the Crimson lost games to its Ivy opponents and would then bounce back from these losses to trounce non-league competitors. For example, after the Crimson had dropped a 3-1 match at Brown and a 3-0 match to Yale in its last weekend of Ivy play, it rebounded to win its next match, a 3-0 romp over non-league Holy Cross. Harvard then went on to dominate Marist and Sacred Heart in two straight 3-0 matches to end the season.

Although the team's ability to bounce back from league defeats reflects the team's determination to prove itself as a legitimate contender, its poor Ivy record gave the Crimson a No. 7 seed entering the Ivy tournament.

In a difficult five-game match, the Crimson eventually lost to No. 2 Penn, despite strong performances from junior Erin Denniston and co-captain Katherine Hart. Cheered on by an enthusiastic crowd, the Crimson capitalized on early Penn errors and won the first game but lost the next two. To force the fifth game, Denniston catalyzed a crucial 8-0 Harvard run, allowing the Crimson to capture the fourth game.

However, the Crimson could not hold on at the end, ultimately losing, 15-11.

"[O]ur quarterfinal match against Penn was one of the most exciting and well-played of the season," Mattson said. "If we had to lose, that was the way to go."