UNH sneaks by Harvard

            UNH defeated Harvard Tuesday, Sept. 18, 3-2, in a long, back and forth contest.

            UNH jumped out to a 9-1 lead in the fifth set, but Harvard roared back with a 9-4 run to put the score at 13-10. The Wildcats would claim the next point, giving them match point. Harvard held on and got back within in two, making the score 14-12. Freshman Abigail Brinkman tapped in a soft kill to push the Wildcats to victory, winning the set 15-2.

            “It was an up and down match,” Head Coach Jill Hirschinger said. “Both teams looked awesome at times, and both teams floundered. We’re just happy to come out of here with a win.

            Harvard claimed the first set, 25-21, while UNH claimed the second, 25-23. The Wildcats and Harvard were both inconsistent, resulting in close sets. UNH would then explode in the third set, being aggressive and active, winning 25-18.

            Just as it looked like UNH would close out the game in four sets, the Wildcats came out flat and never got any momentum going, losing the set 25-15. The rocky set spurred some passion back into the Cats, however, as they scored nine of the first 10 points in set number five.

            Morgan Thatcher led the Cats with an impressive performance including 22 kills, three serving aces, and eight digs.

            The Wildcats improve to 7-8 on the season, and now look ahead to Providence, their first conference opponent. They will meet at UNH Saturday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m.