Match Preview
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Harvard Women’s Tennis team, riding a wave of momentum with two consecutive victories and four wins in their last five outings, is set to face LMU and No. 51 UC Santa Barbara this week. The Crimson will take on the Lions in Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday, followed by a matchup against the Gauchos on Saturday.
Essential Information
After a 10-day break since their last match, the Harvard team (7-7) returns to competition, having recently triumphed over NJIT with a dominant 7-0 score at home. This impressive shutout was preceded by a clean 5-0 victory against UMass just a day earlier.
During a recent six-match homestand, Harvard secured a strong 4-2 record. In addition to their wins against NJIT and UMass, the team also claimed victories over Quinnipiac and Stony Brook, while encountering defeats against Wisconsin and Memphis.
This week’s matches in California will be only the second and third true away contests for the Crimson this season, following an earlier loss to Baylor at the start of the spring.
Harvard has showcased strong performances at the top of its singles lineup, amassing a 6-4 record. Holly Fischer has contributed with a 4-4 record, and Charlotte Owensby remains unbeaten at 2-0. As a doubles pair, they have excelled with a 5-1 record this spring, including an impressive 4-1 at the No. 1 position.
Natalie Block and Maxi Duncan have also formed a reliable duo, holding a 6-4 record in dual matches (2-2 at No. 2 and 4-3 at No. 3).
This matchup against the Lions (2-7) will mark the third encounter in the history of the series, with Harvard emerging victorious in the previous two encounters: a close 4-3 victory in 2016 and a 4-1 win in 2024, both held in Los Angeles.
As for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (4-8), they come into the match with a history of close contests against Harvard, having faced off 16 times before. The Crimson has claimed victory in nine of those meetings, winning the last two encounters in 2016 and 2017. Harvard holds a favorable 5-1 record against UCSB over the past six matchups, a streak that began with a narrow 5-4 victory at home in 1995.
Looking Ahead
Harvard will return to its home court to take on Dartmouth on Sunday, March 30, marking the commencement of Ivy League competition. The match is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET.
