“Keller’s always left the offensive decision making up to me,” said Bookman, the team’s four-year starting setter. “We began the game setting to their weakest blockers on the outside, but they played really good defense. I should have continued doing what’s been working for us all season—feeding the middle. I probably waited a little to long to switch from the outside.”

If he needed a hint to change up the plan, Keller wouldn’t tell him, but Kowell was more than willing.

At key points, Kowell let everyone know he wanted the ball. Trailing by a set and leading by a point in second, 29-28, Kowell yelled for the ball—for the first time in the game—just as Bookman was about to set. Bookman set it straight to Kowell but the Pioneers saved it. When the ball came back over, the pair repeated the same play—this time ending in an authoritative spike down the center, tying the game at a set a piece.

Harvard’s other middle blocker, junior Juan Carlos Cardet, was equally impressive.

“Juan Carlos probably played the single best game of his career,” Bookman said. “He blocked, he killed, he put us over the top. He was the difference in the game.”

Still, it was the Bookman-Kowell combinations that proved the most memorable and dramatic—changing the momentum at critical points.

“Two of the biggest reasons I came to Harvard were Mike and Alex,” Keller said. “The whole team was wonderful, but it was really those two who drew me in. They’ve always been leaders. They have a star quality that goes beyond the sphere of volleyball on the court. I’m going to miss them.”

They’ll miss you too.

—Staff writer Timothy Jackson can be reached at jackson2@fas.harvard.edu.