Raquetwomen Conquer Brown; Crimson Glides to 6-1 Victory As Depth Prevails Yet Again

Depth proved the key again for the Harvard racquetwomen as the Crimson destroyed Brown, 6-1, in their Ivy League opener at Providence yesterday.

Harvard glided past the Bruins in positions three through seven without losing a game.

The Crimson had to contend with overheated courts, poor lighting and an unfamiliar ball. But, as the score indicates, they adjusted well.

Jackie Corrigan, a freshman playing in the third position, said the faulty lighting made the ball look "like a strobe light."

Thinking Ahead

Corrigan said coach Jack Barnaby had prepared the team well by having them practice with the heavier "blue dot" ball.

The Crimson's other freshman, Lisa Harrison, who is still struggling to master the new grips Barnaby taught her last week, had no trouble in the fifth slot, winning 3-0.

Sarah Mleczko, who started the season at number seven because of an injury, moved up the ladder to the fourth slot,defeating Pam Tingley in three games.

Mleczko said Tingley played a good "short game, but wasn't too quick on the court."

Still, Mleczko considered her match "a lot closer than the scores indicated."

Tight Squeezes

Becky Tung was hard pressed at number one, narrowly defeating Pam Lloyd, 14-16, 15-9, 15-12, 18-16.

The Crimson's only loss came in the second position; Brown's Kate Smith edged Margo Glade, 16-14, 12-15, 15-7, 16-14.

Barnaby said McGlade played "a fine match against a fine opponent. It could have gone either way."

Courtney Stimpson and Jenny Stone, who played in the sixth and seventh positions, respectively, completed the Crimson victory with a pair of 3-0 wins. Stone's power game overwhelmed her weak opponent.

Barnaby said he could not single out any one star, adding that the team played "solidly throughout."

Despite his team's strong showing, Barnaby feels the squad has a long way to go before it can challenge preseason favorite Princeton.

Pleased with the Crimson's progress, however, he warned that if Harvard had been "ten feet below the Tigers at the start of the season, we're only five feet under them now."

Providing further evidence of Harvard's depth, the J.V. racqueteers swept their Brown opponents, 7-0.

Ellie Cunningham and Libby Pierpont, who sport a combined 6-0 record for the varsity this year, played J.V. against the Bruins.

Cunningham was pleased with the Crimson's domination of what she called "our first real match."