{shortcode-b2771f69236f49561effd90a51a8afb773de51da}No. 2 Harvard (1-0) lived up to its national ranking, opening up its 2018-2019 season with a resounding 9-0 sweep of Northeastern. Picking up on its 13-3 campaign in 2017-2018, the Crimson showed dominance within each of the nine matches as well, winning by score of 3-0 in every one.

Headlining the effort was sophomore Samuel Scherl at the No. 1 position in the Harvard lineup. Providing backup, freshman George Crowne controlled No. 2 en route to his first collegiate victory and sophomore Adam Corcoran cruised to a win at No. 3.

Complementing the talent at the top, the depth of the Crimson lineup proved just as vital to Harvard’s thorough rout. In fact, senior Rana Bansal powered his way to the most dominant performance of the day at the No.7 position. In the course of three games, Bansal surrendered just one single point, amassing an aggregate 33-1 advantage in points. Achieving the lopsided margin, Bansal credited his game to executing the fundamentals with precision.

“I tried to just focus on my length and my shots and stick to the basics of what I knew,” Bansal said.

In keeping it simple, Bansal prioritized finesse and placement over power, leading him to cool-headed, steady rallies and setting himself up for the chance for crafty shot-making after getting into a rhythm.

Strategically, as a team, the Crimson showed great shot-making prowess in its victory. Running opponents all over the court, alternating power and finesse, and playing shots off of the walls at sharp angles, Harvard seemed to have too great a repertoire for the Huskies to handle.

When Northeastern did adjust, the Crimson responded immediately. In his triumph, senior Stephen Monrad alternated shot speed to keep his opponent on his toes.

“I started out with a lot of power. He began to get used to it. He moved back in the T, so I had to try to finish up with a little finesse,” Monrad explained.

With a win under its belt, the Crimson will look to use the complete performance as a jumping-off point to build momentum for the rest of the season. To Bansal, this match can have implications beyond just gameday.

“This is the first match — this sets the tone for the whole year,” the senior said.

Despite the hot start, Harvard is by no means satisfied. While the squad considers the match a necessary first step to a successful campaign, team members say a lot of work is still to be done.

“It’s good to get a win, but we have a long way to go to where we want to be,” Monrad explained.

Shifting focus to the rest of the season, Bansal also echoed that, in the grand scheme of the season, this match is simply a starting point for future success.

“We have a lot of big matches coming up…. This was a way to kind of get the legs moving and for guys to get warmed up and ready to go,” Bansal said.

Looking to the future, the team has no trepidation about setting lofty goals.

“The expectation: we want to be national champions,” Monrad said. “This is just one step of the way there.”

In its quest for a national championship, the Crimson will encounter one of its toughest schedule stretches after Thanksgiving but before the semester break. Harvard returns to play on Nov. 28 against Tufts before squaring off with No. 22 MIT on Nov. 30 and then No.7 Dartmouth on Dec. 5.

Wednesday night was the start Harvard wanted, but if it wants to win the national championship, the team will have to navigate its way successfully through the difficult weeks to come.