With both teams playing their first match of the tournament with aggressiveness and alacrity, the fast-paced, high-energy match lasted over two hours. The Friars won the first two games, 12-15 and 13-15, but Harvard fought back in the third game with strong blocking and serving to win, 15-10.

The Crimson maintained its momentum and won the fourth game, 15-13. Harvard almost pulled off the upset and challenged Providence throughout the fifth game, but the Friars eventually prevailed, winning the final game, 16-14.

One significant factor in the Crimson's success this weekend was the steady contribution of the squad's new faces, composed of seven freshmen and one transfer student. This year, the team's three seniors--Hart, Lutich, and co-captain Sarah Mattson--face the difficult challenge of making the rookies an important component of the team both on the court and in the locker room.

"The freshmen understand their role," Weiss said. "There's no question that they're all working together and that all 15 are playing together as a unit."

Several rookies, such as Asare, Meunier and freshman outside hitter Allison Bendush, played like veterans throughout the weekend.

"The freshmen are a really big part of this team, and a lot of us get playing time," Asare said. "We feel just a part of the team as anyone."

The Crimson travels to UConn tomorrow for its next contest.