“Win or lose, the match was up to us,” Harvard coach Brian Baise said. “We didn’t focus on the opponent; [we] just worried about our side of the net. The guys came out, and it really worked. I felt we played with a lot of confidence and a lot of consistency.”

Interestingly enough, confidence and consistency have been the plague of this season’s squad.

Like its quick 6-1 start to the season, the Crimson began the match well Saturday afternoon, boasting a two-set advantage after cruising past NJIT with solid 25-19 and 25-21 wins in the first and second frames, respectively.

Though it had trouble breaking out of its slump later in the season, Harvard proved its mettle in the team’s final contest.

“We slipped back into our old habits a bit in the third game, giving up points in streaks to the other team,” Baise said. “I was curious to see how the team would respond in the last game, and to watch them turn it around like they did was great.”

Without a doubt, Jones was the standout of the match, leading the team with 24 kills and leading the squad through the adversity of the third set. Jones also recorded two service aces, five digs, and six blocking assists.

Other notable performers were freshman outside hitter Chris Gibbons, who added 13 kills, led the team with 11 digs, and contributed to a blocking assist, and sophomore Derek Jansma who led the team with 27 assists.

“This is a young team that proved they can come out and play to their potential,” Baise said. “This win will be a great thing not only for the end of this season, but [also] to start next fall.”