Sacred Heart
7-5,0-0Metro
Harvard
9-0,0-0Ivy League
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sacred Heart | 17 | 18 | 23 | 0 |
| Harvard | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Pios Drop Three Set Decision to Harvard in Final Non-Conference Test
9/20/2026 6:01:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Cambridge, Mass. – Wrapping up its non-conference schedule, the Sacred Heart women's volleyball team dropped a three-set decision to the Harvard Crimson in the final of two games at the Harvard Invitational over the weekend. Heading into Metro Conference play, the Pioneers hold a 7-5 overall record.
Leading the way against the Crimson was first year outside hitter Renata Montini who completed her second-straight match in double figures with 10 kills and a team-high .348 attack percentage. Overall, Montini was one of two players to finish in double figures with senior right-side Lauren Hubert matching her output of 10 kills.
As a team, the Pioneers outpaced Harvard in total kills with a 40-35 advantage, sets with a 38-32 advantage and digs with a 48-45 advantage. Sacred Heart saw nearly half of their 40 kills (17 total) come in the third set alone.
Records
Sacred Heart: 7-5, 0-0 Metro
Harvard: 9-0, 0-0 IVY
Leaders
Renata Montini: 10 kills, .348 attack percentage, 7 digs
Lauren Hubert: 10 kills, 12 digs
Addy Franz: 28 assists, 10 digs
How it Happened
Harvard came out of the gates firing on all cylinders as they closed out the opening set with a .321 attack percentage, connecting on 10 kills in 28 attempts with just a single error. The opening set would feature just a single tie with the Crimson pulling out a 25-17 win to take the early lead.
The second set would go back-and-forth until late in the action when the Crimson pulled away to a 25-18 victory. Back-to-back kills from Sofia Hechavarria provided a 15-14 lead for the Pioneers, however Harvard answered by coming out of the media timeout to score 11 of the final 14 points to earn the victory, piecing together a pair of four point runs in that stretch.
The third set was a battle from start to finish with the single stanza totaling 14 ties and five lead changes before the Crimson closed out the match victory and guaranteed continuing the unbeaten start by scoring four of the final six points. SHU had opened the match with a 4-0 rally before the Crimson got on the board, however they were able to battle back early for the first lead change coming courtesy a six point rally for the home team.
Up Next
When the Pioneers return to action it will come following the longest road trip in Metro Conference play as they head to upstate New York to face Canisius and Niagara on opening weekend of league action. The Pios face the Golden Griffins on Friday and the Purple Eagles on Saturday with first serve on both days set for 6:00 p.m. All of the action from the weekend will air live on ESPN+.
