The Crimson played without the help of junior outside hitter Grace Weghorst and senior outside hitter Kathleen Wallace, forcing underclassmen into key roles. But that did not slow down Harvard.

“We’re making a lot of different lineup adjustments,” Harvard coach Jennifer Weiss said. “We have a couple injuries that we’re working around. I think there are some athletes that are stepping up and getting the job done.”

Freshman middle blocker Jocelyn Meyer and sophomore outside hitter Heather Sigurdson saw extensive playing time in their second and first games, respectively. Sigurdson recorded eight digs in her debut with the team.

The debutants weren’t by themselves, however, as the experience and leadership of regulars such as Bain, Schmidt and co-captain Caroline Holte kept the team rolling.

“It’s great to see...Corie, Caroline, and Hannah stepping up to the plate and keeping the chemistry going,” Weiss said.

HARVARD 3, CONNECTICUT 1

After dropping the first set of its tournament opener, the Crimson found itself in danger of going down two sets, trailing 23-19. But with the help of three kills from sophomore Paige Kebe, the Crimson fought back, winning seven of the next eight points to tie the game at one set a piece.

The Crimson would hold on to the momentum from that set, winning the next two frames by a combined margin of seven points and taking the first game of the tournament.

Cornelius anchored the Crimson defense at the net with seven blocks. Senior libero Sindhu Vegesena added a team-high 23 digs in the tournament’s opening contest, finishing the weekend with 55 digs in the team’s last tuneup before beginning conference play with a tilt against Dartmouth.