After we lost game two, we said in the huddle that we needed an answer,” Ogbechie said. “We made some mistakes, hit the ball out, hit the ball into the net, we were doing things wrong that we knew how to do. In the third game we just had an answer for that.”

It was a commanding response to a second-game collapse that had shifted the momentum in Dartmouth’s favor. After a Miller kill gave Harvard a 27-25 lead, the Big Green took the last five points of the game, including two blocks to slam the door shut.

Long Island 3, Harvard 0

Unable to carry the momentum from Friday night’s victory over Dartmouth, the Crimson dropped its match to Long Island in three games on Saturday (23-30, 27-30, 28-30).

After losing the first two games, Harvard was poised to win the third, breaking away from a 9-9 tie by winning 15 of the next 21 points. Junior outside hitter Nilly Schweitzer came alive during the run with four kills.

Unfortunately, volleyball is a game of momentum and, after taking a timeout at 24-15, the Blackbirds won 12 of the next 15 points, evening the score at 27.

A net violation by Long Island gave the Crimson a one-point edge, but the advantage was short-lived.

Middle blocker Mika Belbaor went to work against Harvard with a kill and an ace to retake the lead.

The Crimson’s last timeout only delayed the inevitable, as the Blackbirds won the next point with a kill by junior middle blocker Cristina Pintilie, taking the game 30-28.

Pintilie led Long Island, as she has all season, with 20 kills and a .487 hitting percentage in the match.

“They set her the majority of the time,” said co-captain outside hitter Allison Bendush. “They were much more of a defensive team with one big hitter.”

At the beginning of the match, it didn’t look like the Blackbirds were going to make Harvard’s life so miserable. In the first game, the Crimson hung with Long Island, even maintaining a small lead.

After a 17-17 tie, however, the Blackbirds’ tough defense took over, and Harvard could not keep up. The Crimson only won six more points that game, two of which came from missed serves by Long Island.

Eager to avenge the first game, Harvard opened the second game with purpose, holding onto a small lead at 21-19.

After the Crimson failed to break away, the Blackbirds went on a four-point run behind the serving of Pintilie, edging out Harvard 23-21.