Netwoman Down Eagles, 7-1

Another match, another win.

Is it getting to be a routine?

The Harvard women's tennis team probably hopes so.

Harvard won its third straight match and its fourth in its last five when the squad defeated Boston College, 7-1 at B.C. yesterday.

The Crimson's win pushed the team's overall record (8-8) to .500 for the first time since it returned from California after Spring Break.

Also for the first time since the recess, the most competitive match of the day was turned in by number one player freshman Erika deLone.

DeLone, who is ranked number one in the east, faced the number three player in the region, Pam Piorkowski. took the first set 7-5 over deLone.

"I came out not playing too strong," deLone said, who rushed straight from a Social Analysis 10 hourly to make the match. "I had trouble getting concentrated."

DeLone came back in the second set, winning 6-3 to send the match to a decisive third set. Late in the third, deLone found herself on the brink of losing to Piorkowski. She was down 3-4 and had to face about five game points that could have likely sealed up the match for her B.C. opponent.

DeLone managed to win the game and went on to win the set, 6-4.

"I played a tough game there," deLone said. "If I had lost that game, I would have had a real hard time coming back."

DeLone's win--her 27th of the season--secured the team victory after her teammates Kim Cooper, Eliza Parker and Agata Passent each scored straight victories over Eagle opponents.

The only Crimson players to fall in the singles action was Erika Elmuts, playing in the second position, who was defeated by Jennifer Lane, the eighth-ranked player in the east.

In doubles, sophomore Melissa McNabb teamed up with Cooper to deliver a 6-4, 6-1 pummeling to their opponents. Parker and Passent also collected a point with a 6-4, 7-5 triumph.

But perhaps the most interesting match of the day the was one that was never played.

The first doubles match between deLone and Elmuts of Harvard and Lane and Piorkowski of B.C. was canceled because one of the Eagles players withdrew at the last minute. claiming an injury.

However, the real reason the had less to do with injuries and more to do with rankings. The B.C. doubles team is currently ranked first in the region, entitling it to one of the one two invitations to the NCAA tournament.

But Harvard's duo is ranked third. If the Eagles pair had lost yesterday, they might have risked a certain trip to the NCAA's.

So instead, they decided to sit yesterday out.

"If we had beaten them it would have been a three-way tie [between the top double teams from Harvard, B.C. and William and Mary]," deLone explained. "The coaches probably would have voted for them since they beat us in the fall, but I guess they didn't want to take that chance."

HARVARD, 7-1 at Boston College Tennis Center

Singles 1.DeLone (Harvard) def. Piorkowski (Boston College), 5-7, 6-3, 6-4' 2. Lane (BC) def, Elmuts (H), 6-1, 6-3; 3. Cooper (H) def. Barker (BC), 6-2, 6-1; 4. Parker (H) def. Gabbett (BC), 6-0, 6-4; 5. Passent (H) def. Talarico (BC), 6-2, 6-3' 6. Harris (H) def. deWitt (BC), 7-5, 6-3.

Doubles 1.DeLone/Eimuts (H) vs. Lane/Piorkowski, did not play; 2. Parker/Passent (H) def. Gabbett/Talarico (BC), 6-4, 7-5; 3. Cooper/McNabb (H) def. Baker/deWitt, 6-4, 6-1.