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Multiple high school players with all-state accolades will join Harvard in the upcoming season.
Harvard announced recently that high school seniors Matthew Ctvrtlik, Martin Heavey, Chase Howard and Erik Johnsson committed to play for the Crimson beginning in the 2017 season.
“We’re excited to have such a multi-talented group coming in next year,” coach Brian Baise said in a statement. “They are athletic and experienced and they all love to compete. It’s a group that will make an impact on our program from the start, both on and off the court. We’re looking forward to working with them in the years to come.”
Ctvrtlik, a 6-foot-5 setter from Newport Beach, California, was a multiple First-Team All-CIF selection during his high school career and lead the team to two regional champions. In addition, Ctvrtlik, the son of former Pepperdine and U.S. Olympic volleyball player Bob Ctvrtlik, helped his club team earn three top-three finishes at the Junior Olympics.
Heavey, a 6-foot-4 middle attacker from Henderson, Nevada, had more than 1,000 career kills in high school and was named the 2015 conference player of the year. He also earned first-team all-region honors last year as his school won the division title.
Howard, a 6-foot-2 libero and outside attacker from Virginia Beach, Virginia, was a three-time all-state selection and earned All-Tournament Team honors at the Virginia Showcase the last four years. He also was named to the U.S. Boys’ Youth National Team training roster last year.
Johnsson, a 6-foot-4 outside attacker from Rochester, New York, earned all-area honors last season as his high school team won its second state championship in the last four years. In addition, Johnsson won the Junior Beach 18U National Championship and helped lead his club team to a top-10 finish at the USA Volleyball Boys’ Junior National Championships last year.
Harvard finished last season in third place in the EIVA and reached the conference tournament semifinals for the fifth consecutive season.