As in the first set, Harvard never trailed in the second and claimed a 25-15 win.

HARVARD 3, CHARLESTON 1

On Friday night, about 30 minutes into play, the wheels appeared to be coming off for the Crimson.

While Harvard had sped through the first frame, Charleston had taken control of the second with a 7-0 streak that put them up, 16-9.

A Crimson timeout ignited a 5-1 counter-surge, but with the game tied at 21-all, the Golden Eagles had accelerated ahead with a four-point run to take the second frame.

This was the background for a tense third set in which Charleston held a lead as late as 15-14. But a five-point run saved Harvard and granted the hosts the set, 25-21.

“We kind of struggled… but we came back,” Gretsch said. “We were pretty mentally strong, brought a lot of fire.”

On the night, Gretsch led his side with 15 kills on a .565 hitting rate, and Clemens added 14 more.

It was all business in the fourth frame, as Harvard built an early six-point lead and led from then on, eventually powering to a 25-14 frame.

This narrative was similar to the first frame, when the Crimson used a 7-2 stretch to turn a one-point advantage into a gaping six-point hole. Harvard never trailed in the set, which it won, 25-13.

But the Golden Eagles were resistant in the second, thanks to an extended service run in the middle of play. Harvard had hit .571 in the first frame, but was limited to .080 in the second.

—Staff writer Sam Danello can be reached at sam.danello@thecrimson.com.