Women's Tennis Stomps BU

Following a split with Ivy League foes Cornell and Brown at last weekend’s ECAC Championships, the Harvard women’s tennis team ran away with a 6-1 win over Boston University on Saturday morning at the Murr Center.

“I was very pleased with the overall level we showed,” Harvard coach Traci Green said. “We’ve been working really hard in practice on our doubles and the progress definitely showed. Everyone was very aggressive at the net and we were running the plays that we practiced.”

For just the second time this spring season, the Crimson began the match by winning the all-important doubles point. All three Harvard (5-5) pairs won their matches to give the Crimson a one-match edge over the visitors (3-4).

“Winning the doubles point gives you a tremendous advantage going into the singles,” Green said. “Knowing that your team only needs three singles victory is an amazing feeling. That was a definite boost for us winning that point, but more importantly, we played the way we wanted to play.”

Despite the lead, Harvard did not lay off the gas once singles play commenced. Sophomore Erica Oosterhout and captain June Lee made quick work of their opponents at the top two positions.

“I think we did a good job of coming out with a lot of energy and also maintaining that and not being as up-and-down, which is something we’ve been working on,” Lee said. “We came out with a lot of confidence and energy and we had a pretty solid day.”

Oosterhout took down the Terriers’ Iryna Kostirko, 6-0, 6-3, in what was her fifth consecutive victory. The Tampa, Fla. native has not lost since Jan. 29 against Florida State.

“She never gives up,” Lee said. “All of her opponents are tough, there have been a couple close ones and she’s been handling the pressure that comes with that very well. She keeps plugging away regardless of what the score is.”

Lee lost just one game in defeating BU senior Barbara Rodriguez in two sets. Junior Annika Ringblom was the only Crimson player to lose on the day, falling to Terrier freshman Clara Falxa, 6-2, 6-0, in the No. 5 spot.

Sophomore Sabrina Xiong made her presence felt in her first singles match of the spring season. Xiong is a staple for Harvard in doubles, teaming up with Ringblom to pick up a win earlier in the day.

“It was great to have Sabrina back out there on the singles court,” Green said. “She had been battling a few injuries. She played a very solid first set and got down 3-0 in the second set and it didn’t phase her at all. She just battled her way all the way back and next thing you know, she’s shaking hands.”

The Crimson’s two freshmen who played in singles action impressed on Saturday. Jenna Friedel and Irene Lu picked up victories at the third and fourth singles spots, respectively. Friedel bounced back from a loss against Cornell to drop BU sophomore Remi Ramos, 6-2, 6-2.

Lu is now 6-3 in nine spring singles matches after besting Terrier sophomore Sabrina Faybyshev, 6-2, 6-7, 10-4.

“Having those back-and-forth matches is really good,” Lee said. “You’re not going to be having them every day, so how do you handle the stress and the pressure when it has been a close match? You get what it’s like to see being the last match on or the clinching match so it’s really good to experience that early on as a freshman.”

—Staff writer Stephen J. Gleason can be reached at stephen.gleason@thecrimson.com.