The Harvard women's squash team, last year's national champions, started its season with a 9-0 blow-out of Bowdoin. Each Crimson player swept its opponent in three short, sweet games.

"It's a nice way to begin," Crimson Co-Captain Stephanie Clark said.

The Bowdoin match does not traditionally present Harvard with a huge challenge, and Sunday was no different. The Bears never have beaten the Crimson. On top of that, last year's top four players graduated, and Sunday's lowest three seeds were playing their first varsity matches.

"The Bowdoin game is a good opportunity for a lot of our players," Harvard Coach Steve Piltch said. "Hopefully it lends confidence to those players who don't play every day or every match."

In their first varsity games, freshmen Heather Sullivan and Polly Butler lay waste to their older opponents. Although sickness prevented Butler from touching a court for two weeks, her re-entry to Hemenway Gym was smooth. At fourth seed, she beat junior Pam Haas, 15-7, 15-8, 15-11.

More experienced players, Co-Captain Daphne Onderdonk, and sophomores Kathy Shergallis and Paula Rand carried in wins for the remaining top half of the ladder. The first-seeded Onderdonk disposed of Bowdoin's Caitlin Hart, 15-6, 15-4, 15-4.

Crimson, 9-0 at Hemenway Gym

1. Daphne Onderdonk (HARVARD) d. Caitlin Hart (Bowdoin), 15-6, 15-4, 15-4; 2. Heather Sullivan (H) d Beth Sperry (B), 15-3, 15-6, 15-2; 3. Polly Butler (H) d. Pam Haas (B), 15-7, 15-8, 15-11; 4. Cathy Shergalis (H) d. Corrie Detweiler (B), 15-10, 15-7, 15-2; 5. Paula Rand (H) d. Laurie Ford (B); 6. Kate Gace (H) d. Melissa Minor (B), 15-3, 15-3, 15-6; 7. Mimi Smith (H) d. Jenny Bogue (B), 15-6, 15-8, 15-9; 8. Wendy Chang (H) d. Katy Gradek (B), 15-2, 15-5, 15-3; 9. Leslie Chang (H) won, 15-5, 15-3, 15-7.