Terriers Bark, but Netwomen Bite, 7-2

After the Harvard women's tennis team began its fall season with an impressive 7-2 victory over Boston University at the Beren and Palmer Dixon Courts yesterday, Crimson Coach Ed Krass had some suprising observations.

"Everyone seems to be going [after] us," he said. "It's going to be a tough season ahead. B.U. was tough."

Harvard didn't completely dominate the match yesterday, but it sure didn't look like a team that started its pre-season only two weeks ago.

Kathy Vigna and Jacki Ferrell, the Crimson's number one and two singles players, both had some minor trouble in their matches yet were still able to win rather handily.

Vigna, the only Harvard player who will participate in the All-American Tournament on October 10-12, was down 5-3 in the first set to Adriana Copete but came back to win 10 of the next 11 games to take the match, 7-5, 6-1.

Up one set and 4-1 in the second, Ferrell faced a brief comeback by Kristin Noferi, but held on to win the set, 6-3, and the match.

In the doubles competition, Harvard's top team of Martha Berkman--who earlier won her singles match at number six, 6-4, 6-2--and Robin Boss proved why they are considered the best duo in the East by taking only 55 minutes to defeat Copete and Nancy Pastorizia, 6-2, 6-2.

Boss's strength was definitely her overhand smashes which seemed to paralyze the B.U. team. On several occasions, her smashes nearly knocked the rackets out of the Terriers' hands.

"Berkman and Boss take command of a match, are aggressive and make their opponents react," Krass said. "They will get better."

"We weren't expecting B.U. to play this well," Krass continued. "It was good to handle the pressure for a first match. The final product won't be shown until a few months down the road, when we play the Californian teams in early March."