After going up two games to one, Harvard was unable to finish the match in the fourth set, registering a match-low of .167 hitting percentage in the frame.

Still fighting, New Hampshire pounced on the opportunity created by the Crimson’s lackluster play.

The Wildcats tallied a .385 hitting percentage and killed 18 balls en route to tying the match at two and setting the stage for a nail-biting fifth set.

For a team with only two seniors, Harvard showed plenty of composure in the fifth set as it attempted to start their five-game home stand off with a win.

The stakes were just as high for New Hampshire, which was looking for its first win.

The teams battled evenly with points punctuated by diving stabs and timely blocks.

But when the game hung in the balance, with the teams tied at 11 apiece, it was the Crimson who stepped up.

After Harvard won two long points to go up 13-11, the Wildcats called a timeout to gather itself for the final push.

In the huddle, Weiss talked specific strategy and made sure her team was confident and composed before sending them back onto the court.

“The team came out in control.” Weiss said. “We knew what they were going to try to run and what we were going to do and we executed the game plan, which was good.”

Even though Harvard escaped with a win, Weiss recognized that there is always room for improvement, especially early in the year.

“We were up and down. We have a lot that we can learn from the match for the matches coming up,” she said.

“Hopefully this match will bring us more confidence and we’ll have a good weekend,” Fryhofer added.

Next up for the Crimson is a match with Holy Cross on Friday to open the Harvard Invitational.

Harvard will then take on Navy and Northeastern on Saturday before beginning their Ivy League slate with a home match the following weekend against another school from New Hampshire, Dartmouth College, on Sept. 24.