Florida Trip Deals Harvard Win, Loss

The Sunshine State may be too hot for the Crimson to handle.

This weekend, the Harvard women’s tennis team (4-6) headed south to Miami and Ft. Myers, Fla. to compete against No. 52 Florida International and Florida Gulf Coast.

The nationally-ranked Golden Panthers (11-5) and the Florida weather were too big of obstacles to overcome, and the Crimson dropped the match 6-1. But the next day, a rejuvenated Harvard heated up the courts, taking down the Eagles (1-11) in a decisive 6-1 victory.

HARVARD 6, FLORIDA GULF COAST 1

With a night’s rest and a fresh outlook, the re-energized Crimson came out on fire against the Eagles.

The well-rested Harvard team overcame the conditions Sunday to bounce back with newfound confidence.

“Our mindset coming into the match today was to beat the heat and play hard.” Crimson coach Traci Green said.

A resilient Harvard executed its game plan quite well, dominating Florida Gulf Coast in a crushing 6-1 victory.

Stepping up as the No. 1 because of an ill Peterzan, Rosekrans notched yet another win.

“I approached [the No. 1 position] fairly calmly and took it one point at a time,” Rosekrans said. “It was exciting for me because I haven’t played No. 1 yet so far this season, so I felt like I had nothing to lose. And when you are given that opportunity, you have to rise to the challenge.”

Playing the No. 1 spot is no easy feat, yet Rosekrans transitioned with ease, overpowering her opponent in straight sets.

“We are really proud of the way she competed out there.” Green said.

The Crimson has been flying under the radar, but Harvard thinks it will surprise a few teams this season.

“We aren’t necessarily the favorite team,” Rosekrans said, “but we are looking to upset a lot of people in our upcoming matches.”

FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 6, HARVARD 1

After battling Florida International in 90-degree, humid weather, the Crimson fell at No. 1, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6 singles in straight sets.

“We had a slow start, but the match was much closer than the score,” sophomore Samantha Rosekrans said.

While finally seeing the sun and playing outdoors may have been a welcome adventure for the New Englanders, the wind and the heat proved to be unruly side effects that plagued Harvard throughout its play.

A few of the Crimson players suffered major injuries from the conditions. Captain Laura Peterzan, filling in at the No.1 spot due to senior Beier Ko’s injured wrist, experienced heatstroke on Saturday, according to the team.

“It was a difficult match because we had not been used to the outdoor conditions,” Rosekrans said. “It was a shock to all of us after playing indoor for four months straight.”

Rosekrans, at No. 2, recorded the only win in the Saturday match, defeating Maria Spenceley in three sets, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3.

Freshman Camille Jania, who played strongly against a fierce competitor, barely fell short. Jania faced nationally-ranked No. 120 Mariana Muci at the No. 3 spot.

She dropped the first set 7-6 (7-4), and won the second 6-4, but in the final tie-breaking set, she ultimately lost 10-4 to Muci.

Realizing the challenge that it faced in such a high-caliber opponent in FIU, Harvard stuck together and maintained a positive attitude despite not experiencing much success.

“We had nothing to lose [playing FIU],” Rosekrans said. “We are not a ranked team and while of course we wanted to win, we looked at it as an opportunity to build experience for Ivies and upcoming matches during spring break.”