Sometimes, the best teams do more than simply "find ways to win." They also find ways to be disappointed.

The Harvard men's volleyball team is a prime example. Having lost two of the greatest players in the program's history in Ed Pankau '00 and Joe Herger '00, the Crimson was left to face a higher division of competition with a very young team. But not only did it finish in third place in the Hay Division-including an upset victory over division champion St. Francis-but it won the Ivy League championship for the first time since 1993.

But despite the team's finer moments, the Crimson (10-11, 6-6 Hay) ended the season still feeling hungry.

"We did struggle throughout the season, and there was substantial discussion as to why this was the case," said junior co-captain Justin Denham. "We had come into the year thinking that we would fare very well in our league. However, that did not end up being the case."

The team's unwillingness to rest on its laurels is characteristic its recent rise to respectability under Coach Tom Wilson, and the 2001 season will likely be remembered as another crucial step in that process. While it failed to make a return trip to the EIVA playoffs, it left its mark on the Hay Division and persevered despite its early-season difficulties.

"On the whole, we did fall short of our goals and expectations for the year," co-captain Justin Micomonaco said. "But it is important to keep in mind that we set some pretty lofty goals."

One problem the Crimson faced in the early stages of its season was a lack of depth. The absence of a natural libero-someone to pass serve and initiate the pass sequence-forced Micomonaco to play out of his accustomed blocker's role. Micomonaco adjusted and performed valiantly, but Harvard's options on offense were still limited.

"[Justin] played magnificently in some of our games," said sophomore setter Mike Bookman. "But it would have been unfair to expect him to be consistent in a position for which most players take years to develop the necessary skills."