A trio of Cougars secure double-digit kills in 3-1 victory over the Crimson

PROVO, Utah — No. 6 BYU men's volleyball took a 3-1 victory (21-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-21) over Harvard on Monday night, fueled by a match-high 17 kills from Luke Benson.

"I was super proud of our guys for finding a way to win," said BYU head coach Shawn Olmstead. "They didn't let themselves get rattled after dropping the first set. Sometimes things aren't going your way, but not getting out of it is the key. Teon was steady with no hitting errors. Teilon was great as well. Overall, I was proud that they didn't overdo it and remained focus in the match."

Three Cougars contributed 14 or more kills in the win. In addition to Benson’s 17, Miks Ramanis and Teilon-Jonathan Tufuga secured 14 and 15 kills, respectively.

Junior setter Tyler Herget recorded nine digs through the match. Freshman middle blocker Niko Hales secured two solo blocks as well, marking the third time this season he has achieved the feat. 

Junior transfer Cole Hauser subbed in as libero during the match for the first time in a BYU jersey, finishing with a career-high six digs.

"I thought Cole Hauser came in and did a wonderful job for us," said Olmstead. "Cole has done that a couple times this year. He has a good energy and a good vibe that helps us on the court. He is a very skilled volleyball player that sees the game steps ahead of everybody else."

BYU (14-6) combined for 53 kills on the evening and hit a .252 hitting percentage, holding Harvard to a .150 clip.

Set One 

Ramanis got it rocking early for the Cougars with a kill to notch the first point of the match. BYU later took advantage of a long rally to tie the set at five. A solo block from Teon Taylor would give the Cougars a 9-8 lead.

The Cougars went on a 5-1 run highlighted by a pair of back-to-back kills from Benson. BYU then entered the media timeout with a 15-12 lead.

The Crimson went on an 8-2 run to command a lead of 21-18.  Despite having staved off a set-point, BYU relinquished the first set to Harvard 25-21.

Set Two

The Cougars flipped the switch in the second set with a 4-1 run to get things started. Hales and Benson each contributed to another 4-0 run, forcing a timeout by Harvard at 8-2.

Benson and Ramanis continued to be a presence as the duo combined for back-to-back kills to advance the lead 15-7. The Crimson matched with two scores of their own. A pattern of two points a side ensued with efforts from Tufuga and Taylor.

BYU stormed ahead with a pair of powerful kills from Benson that put the team in set point. The Cougars took the set 25-21 on a service error from the Crimson.

Set Three

The third set opened with each side going point-for-point. A kill from Taylor, followed by two errors on Harvard allowed BYU to pull ahead 10-8.

The Crimson didn’t let up on the pressure with a 4-1 run to take the lead and head into the media timeout with a 15-14 advantage.

An ace from Herget put the Cougars back in the lead. Tufuga and Hales added to the frenzy with kill and solo block that forced a Harvard timeout with a two-point lead by BYU. The Cougars went on to secure the third set 25-20.

Set Four

The fourth set opened in mirror-fashion to the third with each side battling for a one point lead through the opening serves. Ramanis fueled BYU in the fight with a pair of back-to-back kills that gave BYU a 7-6 advantage. The Cougars forced a Crimson timeout with an 11-8 lead moments later.

Harvard didn’t give BYU any slack with a knot in the set 14-14. Back-to-back kills from Tufuga gave BYU some fuel into latter end of the set. A solo block from Gavin Chambers etched a 22-20 lead for the Cougars.

An ace from Benson earned BYU the match-point 25-21, giving the Cougars a 3-1 victory.

Up Next

BYU will head on the road to face conference opponent Grand Canyon University at the Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix, Ariz from March 21-22. Both matches will be broadcast live on Big 10+.