At the time, it sounded like false optimism.

When the Harvard women’s volleyball team dropped three straight games to open its season, junior middle hitter Mariah Pospisil remained positive.

“I think we definitely have the team chemistry,” Pospisil said. “It’s the best since I’ve been here. Once we get into the groove of competition we’ll be great.”

Less than a month later, the Crimson has found its groove.

With dominating victories over league foes Columbia and Cornell this weekend, Harvard (10-7, 6-0 Ivy) has won nine of its last 10 matches and remains alone atop the Ivy standings for the second consecutive week.

“It just feels really good to be on top,” said sophomore middle blocker Kaego Ogbechie. “I’m sure that any athlete would say that.”

The standout was, predictably enough, Ogbechie.

Ogbechie, always the offensive star, also paced the Crimson defense. With junior libero Nathalie Miller out with a sprained ankle, Ogbechie was forced to play all of her rotations and posted match-high totals in kills and digs in each contest.

“[Miller] can do it all,” Ogbechie said. “We miss her, but it’s worked out fine.”

Harvard will look to continue streaking through the league when it travels to Penn and Princeton this weekend, the beginning of a four-match road trip.

Harvard 3, Cornell 0

In a matchup of the Ivy League’s top two teams, Harvard smacked the Big Red in a 3-0 (30-27, 30-25, 30-19) sweep.

The Crimson grew progressively stronger with each game, before closing out the Big Red (11-7, 4-2) in front of a rowdy crowd at the Malkin Athletic Center.

Ogbechie posted 19 digs and 15 kills, to lead the Crimson.

Also starring was fellow sophomore, outside hitter Pernilla Schweitzer. Schweitzer, now fully recovered from a shoulder injury that sidelined her for six games, added 13 kills and seven digs.