Netwomen Smash Dartmouth; Princeton Next for Harvard

Entering Wednesday's match against Dartmouth at the Beren Tennis Center. Harvard' women's tennis Coach Don Usher regarded the Big Green as his squad's "toughest match of the season."

His squad responded by winning every set en route to a 9-0 dismantling of the visitors

"It was simply the best we've played all year from top to bottom," Usher said.

Harvard (10-3, 5-0 Ivies) has now won its last three matches,--against Saracuse, Cornell and the Big Green, by a perfect score of 27-0, and the last two without losing a single set.

"We've been on a roll," sophomore Robin Boss said, "and it looks like we've just kept going."

As they have done for most of the seat. Harvard's top four of Elizabeth Evans, Erika Smith, Boss, and Kathy Vigna completely dominated their opponents.

The closest match of the four was nonetheless a romp, with Smith walloping Susan Taylor, 6-3, 6-1.

Freshman Cyndy Austrian and Captain Debbie Kaufman went on to notch wins at numbers five and six, clinching the win for the Crimson before the doubles began.

"We just killed them," Boss said.

Harvard has been overwhelming favorites going into every one of its East Coast matches this year and has often gone into competitions with a low level of intensity.

The Dartmouth match was different.

The Big Green was coming off a stunning 5-4 upset of powerful Princeton and both Usher and the players were wary.

"Before the match, I kept telling everyone, don't underestimate them, don't underestimate them," Boss said.

"We expected to win," Smith said, "but thought it would be close."

This slight possibility that maybe, just maybe the mighty could fail, put the Crimson on its formidable toes.

"We expected a tough one, so we buckled down," Smith said. "We were very intense."

When finally put to the test, the Beast of the fast came out of its cave, bared its gleaming teeth, and attacked.

When Harvard meets Princeton Wednesday on Beren Courts, it will meet up with living testimony of how a champion has been knocked off.

Before Harvard took over last year as the team to beat in Ivy League tennis, the Tigers had captured at least a share of the title three out of the four years from 1980-83.

The Crimson, in fact, has only beaten Princeton twice in the league's five- year history.

"Beating Princeton is still a novelty," Smith said. "They're traditionally a very tough team."

"We're all going to go out there and say we're not going to share thus (title) with anyone," Smith said.