“We focused on blocking and defense,” Zimmick said. “We just wanted to get out to all of our blocks and close them and play really fundamentally sound defense and stay home.”

The third and final set was more of a back-and-forth affair, with Harvard initially breaking out to a 10-6 lead after a 4-4 tie.

But Springfield battled back, taking its latest lead of the night at 14-13 on the heels of an 8-3 run. Pride setter Mike Becker, who had 23 assists and three aces against the Crimson, played a key role in the lead reversal.

That was the closest the Pride would get, as Harvard immediately took back the lead and went on a game-closing 12-5 run.

Springfield threatened late, but with the score at 20-19, freshman DJ White had two straight kills, initiating a 5-0 spurt that ended the match.

The Crimson was able to sweep the Pride with its balanced attack of defense and offense, stemming from its consistent service game.

“I’m real pleased with the way we played,” Baise said. “We were sharp in just about every area. We were working on particularly playing with patience and making good decisions; we did all that tonight. Our service team was pretty good so we would tap the ball well which would allow us to settle.”

Freshmen Zimmick and White continued to provide a spark for Harvard, contributing seven and eight kills, respectively.

Sophomore Nick Madden was second on the team with 11 kills, while junior setter Rob Lothman had a solid game as well, tallying a team-leading 22 assists and six digs.

Though still early in the season, Harvard has looked tough so far in 2012, rebounding sharply from last year’s disappointing conclusion.

“We’ve got a long way to go,“ Baise said. “But to play that consistently with that balanced a game this early, it feels real good.”

—Staff writer David Mazza can be reached at damazza@college.harvard.edu.