The women’s tennis team closes its fall season this weekend at the Harvard Invitational in Cambridge, Mass. The Red will be facing tough Ivy League competition from Harvard and Brown, along with LSU. The Harvard Invitational is a round robin format tournament, with the eventual winner determined by who wins the most matches.

The Red is expected to be the underdog this weekend. Brown, who finished tied for No. 3 in the Ancient Eight last year with the Elis, will be a formidable test. The bears are coming off a solid series of performances in their fall individual season. Sophomore Cassandra Herzberg, Brown’s top player, is coming off a tough loss in the ITA Regional singles tournament. Herzberg fell to Harvard’s Holly Cao in the final. The duo of Herzberg and junior Binaca Aboubakare took the ITA Regional doubles title, and are expected to play together at this weekend’s invitational.

Last go around: This weekend’s invitational will be the last set of matches for women’s tennis until the spring team season begins at the end of January. The Red will face Harvard, Brown, and LSU this weekend.

Harvard has been able to put together a continuous string of individual victories this fall season. Last year’s co-Ivy League champs have been making mince meat of the competition and are expected to continue their winning ways in the spring. The Red will have a tough time competing with Harvard’s deep lineup, led by Cao.

The Red got a peek of the competition two weekends ago when they played at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center Invitational. Though the team didn’t fare well in New York, they did gain experience from the trip.

This weekend’s invitational will be the Red’s last look at its Ivy League competition till the winter season begins in January. The team will be training over the holidays to prepare for the team season. Though the lineup is still vague for the team season, the outstanding performances of freshman Christine Ordway may catapult her to a top spot in the spring lineup.

Other standouts who are likely to make up the Red’s starting lineup during the spring season include junior Sinziana Chis, senior Natalia Sanchez and junior Leah Seyburn. Chis was able to reach the second round of the BJK invite in Flight C.

The most important part of this weekend’s invitational is the increased match play for every player. For many, the Harvard Invitational will be the greatest number of matches they’ve played against opponents in a single fall season tournament. The extra experience that comes with these extra matches will be invaluable as the team heads into its winter hibernation and the looming spring season.