The deciding point came down to the fifth singles match between junior Grant Solomon and Tiger freshman, Jan Pallares. Both of the first two sets ended in a 7-6 tiebreak, the first set going to Solomon and the second to Pallares.

Halfway into the third set with Memphis up 3-1, Solomon came down with cramps, forcing him to default and securing the win for the Tigers.

“That was a tough play to lose the match at 3-all,” Lee said. “But overall it was so much fun because all the guys were cheering really loudly and it was a close match.”

The team defeat prevented the Crimson from claiming its first weekend sweep of the season. Harvard has bounced from victory to failure throughout 2017, at one point seesawing between wins and losses for eight straight contests.

With at least 12 matches remaining, including the bulk of conference play, the team must rack up consistent wins to make noise in the Ancient Eight and beyond.

The Crimson will have a chance to rest up in the next week, as its next matches will come over spring break, when the team will travel to San Diego to train and compete in preparation for the Ivy season. By that time, Harvard is hoping to welcome back co-captain Sebastian Beltrame, who has been sidelined with a foot injury.

“Having [Beltrame] back in will be a huge boost to our program,” Gonzalez said. “We have our work cut out for us, the Ivy League has only gotten stronger over the years.”