Yesterday, the space shuttle Columbia rocketed into orbit. Today, it's the Harvard men's tennis team's turn.

All systems are go as the netmen--ranked 15th in the nation-prepare to launch off against the Boston University Terriers at Palmer Dixon.

A year ago, the Crimson captured its first undisputed Ivy League championship in 16 years. This fall the requetmen snagged the ECAC crown--despite losing number-two seed Don Pompan and sixth-seed Bob Horne to graduation--and subsequently finished eighth at Nationals in Los Angels.

Junior All-American Howard Sands returns as Harvard's most potent threat. Coach Dave Fish describes Sands as "a beautiful touch player, with a great volleying game. He's just a great control player who tries to break [his opponent]."

Taking Pompan's second spot is a Long Island native, junior Warren Grossman. "Warren's a player who is a very hard worker. He's starting to beat players. He's like Howard, because he doesn't have any one great strength," Fish says "Grossman's pesky."

The Crimson netmen are blessed with exceptional depth in their lineup this year. Harvard's six starters--Sands, Grossman, junior Captain Adam Beren, junior Mike Turner, sophomore Rob Loud and senior Alex Seaver--are backed up by agile raquetmen in sophomore Rob Wheeler and highly touted freshman Dave Beckman.

Fish says that players with the skill of Wheeler and Beckman would be starting on any other Ivy team," adding, "We have quite a deep team You I now that when a fellow like Beckman is playing eighth. He's going to be a great player."

Fish also stresses that the netmen's abundance of talent is going to come in hands throughout the 26 match season. If you don't have that depth in your reserve players you're not going to be that good You real ways going to have injuries of someone's always going to catch the flu.

Princeton should prove to be Harvard's most consistent nemesis this spring. Before last year, the Tigers had dominated Ivy League tennis for the past decade and a half, and in 1990 the squad was regarded as one of the top ten teams. The same held true for 1981 until the Crimson toppled Princeton's dynasty.

"Princeton will be pointing towards as all season," Fish says. "Because whoever wins the league will go to the NCAAs. That's a very prestigious tournament. Only 12 teams can go it's not like basketball when 45 teams go"

Fish is correct when he says that only the very best tennis squad makes it to the NCAA tourney. But that doesn't bother Harvard one bit, because all the netmen are quite optimistic about their chances of retaining the Ivy League flag.

Symbolic

"I think that we'll win the Ivies and land somewhere in the top 20 in the country," Sands boasts.

"Make that the top 10 in the country," interrupts Turner Be optimistic."

That hopeful attitude coupled with the talent with Harvard possesses puts the squad in a good position to reach almost any goal.

But first on the racquetmen's agenda is B U. Sands will take on one of the finest players in the cast, Bob Green, in this afternoon's match

Still, "Harvard doesn't consider this a dangerous match. They probably won't stick with us," Fish says.

It's up up and away for the Harvard racquetmen.