Netwomen Take First at New Englands As Crimson Doubles Dominate Tourney

The Crimson certified their status as a powerhouse in women's tennis, conquering a field of more than 15 rivals at the New England Championships, played at Amherst over the weekend.

"Everybody put out 100 per cent," team captain Marie Pe said, as the netwomen pulled away from what looked to be a tight battle with the champions from the last two years, Yale and Dartmouth. Harvard's 23.5 points bettered Dartmouth's total by six-and-a-half, and downed Yale by seven-and-a-half.

Encore

Harvard took most of its points in the doubles division, repeating its performance at the Massachusetts State Championships last week, where it took both first and second places. Juggling his doubles combinations since then. Coach Don Usher moved freshman Debbie Kaufman into the first pair along with sophomore Pe.

The duo beat Brown's top two in one semifinal, 6-1, 0-6, 6-1, while a yardling team of Erica Smith and Elizabeth Evans topped Dartmouth's number one pair, 6-3, 6-2. With the two top spots clinched, the Crimson pairs didn't bother to play a final match.

Who's Number One?

Harvard's number-one singles player, senior Tiina Bougas, took second in her division, falling in the singles final to Connie Yowell of Yale, 6-1, 7-5.

In the semi-final, Bougas gained a measure of much-desired revenge against Boston University. By a 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 count, she beat Johanna Sleeper, top singles player on a B.U. team that trounced an injury-ridden Crimson squad earlier in the season.

The Crimson's second singles entry, sophomore Erica Schulman, had an unlucky draw, facing, and losing to, the tournament's third seed in the first round, a loss lightened by her victory in the consolation division.

The New Englands mark the conclusion of the team's fall schedule. It finished with a 4-1 dual meet record, highlighted by a tough victory over nationally-ranked Penn State.

The netwomen took first at the Greater Boston and Massachusetts State Championships in earlier tournament play.

The team's official practices will continue until December 1, after which Ivy League rules prohibit coach-supervised workouts. Before the actual spring season begins, the netwomen will play in a spring-break tournament in South Carolina, where they will face Duke, William & Mary and other southern teams.

High Hopes

The Crimson will aim to top last year's Ivy champion Yale and runner-up Princeton. Harvard took third at the league championships last year. But, says captain Pe, "we'll be first this year--no doubt about it."