Netwomen Soar Over Eagles, 7-2; West Coast Trip Proves Big Bonus

Over spring break, the Harvard women's tennis team traveled to California and played some of the top teams on the West Coast. The purpose of the trip was not necessarily to win--the Crimson finished with two victories in seven games--but to prepare for the East Coast season.

It worked.

In its first match since The Warm-Up in the West, Harvard handily defeated a tough Boston College squad, 7-2, yesterday at Palmer Dixon Courts.

"The California trip is really hard for us," Captain Robin Boss said, "because we are not necessarily prepared. But every year we come back prepared for matches."

Boss, who swept Eagle Amy Richardson, 6-0, 6-2, led a Crimson contingent that won five out of six singles matches. Other straight set winners were junior Cyndy Austrian (6-3, 6-4) and sophomore Kristin Bland (6-3, 6-0).

"By beating B.C. handily," Coach Ed Krass said, "the team knows we are on the right track."

Boston College, said Krass, is one of the top four teams in the Eastern region and Harvard's victory only proved the importance of the California trip.

In doubles competition, the netwomen took two out of the three matches. The duo of Boss and Bland defeated Richardson and Cathryn Sullivan, 6-4, 6-2, while Austrian and Kathy Vigna also won in straight sets.

Out of the 20 sets played, the Crimson won 14 of them.

Overall, the Crimson's play--especially that of Christina Dragomirescu--was impressive. After losing the first set, 6-3, to Berit Hanna, the freshman stemmed off a comeback by Hanna in the second set and won the tiebreaker 7-2.

"We were a little worried," Boss said, "because we were worn out from the trip."

The only sign of wear for Harvard might have been the play of its number-one singles player, Vigna. After easily winning the first set, 6-2, over Katie Molumphy with a variety of passing shots, Vigna committed many unforced errors and could only win two games in the next two sets. Vigna, however, did win three matches against some stiff California competition over spring break.

RESULTS (Harvard players in Caps) Singles: I, Katie Molumphy def. KATHY VIGNA, 2-6, 6-2, 6-0; 2, ROBIN BOSS def. Amy Richardson, 6-0, 6-2; 3, KRISTIN BLAND def. Chrissy Wood, 6-3, 6-0; 4, CYNDY AUSTRIAN def. Lisa Rosamilia, 6-3, 6-4; 5, CHRISTINA DRAGOMIRESCU def. Berit Hanna, 3-6, 6-4, 7-2; 6, KATHY MULVEHAL def. Julie Walsh, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3.

Doubles: 1, BOSS-BLAND def. Richardson-Cathryn Sullivan, 6-4, 6-2; 2, VIGNA-AUSTRIAN def. Molumphy-Wood, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2; 3, Christina Callahan-Heidi Kunichika def. MULVEHAL-DRAGOMIRESCU.