W. Tennis Drops B.C., Now Texas-Bound

The Harvard women's tennis team is hitting all the hot spots this spring break.

Today, the Crimson (3-7, 0-0 Ivy) leaves for Texas, where they will face University of Texas-Houston, Texas A&M and Baylor University. Then Harvard takes off for Malibu, Calif., where it will take on Pepperdine University.

Three of the four the Crimson will face off against this week are ranked among the top 50 in the nation. Texas A&M is ranked No. 34, Baylor is No. 47 and Pepperdine rounds it out as No. 11 in the country. HARVARD  7 BOSTON COLLEGE  2

Though Harvard does not reside alongside these teams in the top 50 positions, it is coming to play next week after a decisive victory over Boston College.

On Tuesday, the Crimson sought revenge against the Eagles for an unfortunate 5-4 loss last fall, and revenge was what it got. A close singles loss and tough doubles loss did not affect Harvard's chances at winning, as the Crimson dominated Boston College, 7-2.

Sophomore Sanaz Ghazal suffered a loss for the first match of the day, a close battle in three sets. She started off strongly, winning the first set 6-4 but falling in the next two sets, 6-7, and 6-0.

The Crimson recovered easily from the slight setback, as Vedica lain, the oldest active player for Harvard, secured a win in the No. 2 position. She claimed a decisive win in two sets, 6-3 and 6-0.

Freshman Andrea Magyera, one of the most talented and sought-after recruits in the United States, continued Jain's streak with another win. In the No. 3 spot, Magyera faced a tough start, falling 4-6. She battled back to a 7-5 win in the second set and finished it off 6-4.

"It was a great win for all of us yesterday, since the last time we played them we fell in a close battle," Magyera said. "I'm currently battling strep throat, so it was a tough match for me."

Freshman Fleur Broughton, in the No. 4 spot for Harvard, took her match to the limit, finishing up with a tiebreaker in three sets.

Junior Roxanna Curto and freshman Jennie Timoney rounded out the singles matches with two easy wins. In No. 5, Curto won 6-1 and 6-0, and No. 6 Timoney finished 6-2 and 6-1.

In doubles, Ghazal and Broughton lost a toughly fought doubles match to the Eagles' No. 1 team.

But again, the Crimson turned the tide on Boston College, finishing up the meet with two big wins in doubles.

In the No. 2 position, Broughton and Jain won 8-3. Curto and Sarah McGinty quickly followed suit, taking the No. 3 spot with an 8-1 victory.

"Our win against BC is definitely a big confidence boost for our team," Ghazal said. "Beating them yesterday shows just how far our team has come and that our hard work is paying off."

The Crimson are certainly starting to notch key wins on the season, especially after its crucial victories over BC and William and Mary a few weeks ago.

A young team, Harvard boasts only one senior, captain Ivy Wang, who is unable to play due to a season-ending injury. The Crimson boasts three freshmen in the top six players.

"We've definitely improved our singles games, and our doubles is still really solid," Ghazal said. "We're looking forward to spring break and more opportunities to continue building and hopefully a couple of wins."

Though it will be tough, the Crimson has the capability to surpass these teams during spring break.

Christie O'Meara and Lauren Spears will be dominant forces for Baylor, while Monica San Miguel and Kathryn Scott are leading the way for Texas A&M. Pepperdine boasts Angela Lawrence as part of its vicious attack.

"We have a really young team, and so we are learning as we go," Magyera said. "All of these matches will definitely be tough, but we are playing very well."