BOSTON – The Holy Cross volleyball team ended their weekend in Boston with a pair of four set defeats falling 3-1 to Fairfield and 3-1 to Harvard Saturday.
The Crusaders (2-5) took the opening set against the Metro Conference Preseason favorite Stags (3-3) and the Ivy League's Crimson (2-0) before they captured the final three sets.
Sophomore outside hitter
KK Green recorded a team-best 30 kills (3.33 K/S) and a squad-high 26 digs (2.89 D/S) across the three games hitting .269 off 67 attack attempts with four aces. Classmate and fellow outside hitter
Emma Sorensen added 30 kills (3.00 K/S) and 23 digs (2.30 D/S) with five total blocks. Junior setter
Tuana Ozarpaci dished out 48 assists across the three matches.
MATCH ONE SET SCORES:
Stags 3, Crusaders 1 (25-22, 18-25, 21-25, 21-25)
HOW MATCH ONE HAPPENED:Â
- The Crusaders jumped ahead 5-0 early using a pair of sophomore middle blocker Isa Glover kills and a junior defensive specialist Alana Whitwell ace. Fairfield grinded back to level the score 8-8. Three in a row for Holy Cross put the back in the lead at 11-8 following a Green kill. After a Stags timeout, they posted four straight to take their first lead of the set 12-11. Their lead expanded to four, 21-17 following a kill. A bad set and a block by junior middle blocker Lacey Murphy and freshman right side Kat Teepe put them down two, 21-19. Behind by three, Holy Cross posted the final six points of the set with Green starting the run with a kill and ending the set with back-to-back aces.
- Fairfield doubled up the Crusaders 8-4 in the second set. A Lacey Murphy kill with a Stags attack miscue pulled the Crusaders within a pair, 12-10. Glover kept her team behind by two with a kill, 14-12. The Stags outscored the Crusaders 11-6 over the final stages of the set to tie the match 1-1.
- Behind four in the third set, Holy Cross stormed back to tie the set 10-10 after three straight kills off the swing of freshman right side Sarahya College and Sorensen. Fairfield took a timeout and the Crusaders held a 14-12 lead after freshman setter Drew Flanagan placed an ace. An 8-2 Fairfield run put in the lead 20-16. Holy Cross dropped their deficit to two, 22-20, but Fairfield took a 2-1 match lead.
- Sorensen's ace tied the fourth set 6-6. Holding a one point edge, Fairfield posted three straight to lead 15-11. Two Crusader miscues expanded the Stags lead to 19-14.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Sorensen double-doubled for the fourth time this season with a team-high 13 kills and 10 digs.
- Holy Cross held the edge in aces (7-to-3).
- Fairfield hit .252 in the match.
MATCH TWO SET SCORES:
Crimson 3, Crusaders 1 (25-18, 22-25, 20-25, 15-25)
HOW MATCH TWO HAPPENED:
- A block from Glover and Green coupled with a Green kill pushed Holy Cross on the lead at 6-4. Four straight from Harvard gave them a short lived 10-9 lead in the opening set. The Crusaders and Crimson traded points until five straight from the Crusaders with kills from College, Sorensen and Green put them back ahead. Harvard pulled within three, but the Crusaders clinched the opening set, 25-18.
- Harvard started the second set up 7-3. Holy Cross rallied to climb in the lead at 16-15 after an Ozarpaci ace. The Crusaders remained in the lead late 22-21, but the Crimson scored the final four points to tie the match 1-1.
- Another Ozarpaci ace upped the score to 5-2 Holy Cross early in the third set. Down by a pair 10-8, the Crimson strung together eight straight markers to go ahead 16-10, the lead expanded to seven 19-12, but the Crusaders kept rallying with five in a row as Glover recorded two blocks and College a kill to trail 19-17. The Crusader stayed down by two, however the Crimson posted the final three points to lead 2-1.
- Harvard hit .370 in the final set and turned a four point 13-9 lead into a 19-9 advantage late before taking the contest.
INSIDE THE BOX:
- Green hit .414 in the contest with a season and game-best 16 kills to go with 10 digs for her first double-double of 2026.
- Sorensen recorded double-digit kills for the sixth time this season.
- Harvard hit .261 in the contest.
UP NEXT:
- Holy Cross opens its home schedule on Tuesday, Sept. 8 when they take on Marist (1-5).
- First serve is set for 6 p.m. in the Hart Center Arena.
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