The women's team enters the season No. 3 in the nation, trailing last year's champion, Princeton, and No. 1 Penn.
In the pre-season Ivy scrimmages, Harvard beat Princeton but lost to Penn, 5-4.
The men's team starts the season also near the top of the national rankings. They currently stand No. 2, behind last year's champion, Trinity.
Trinity clobbered the Crimson 8-1 in the national championship last year, but Harvard's strong freshman class and retention of all but one starter from last year could get the Crimson over the Trinity hump.
Heading into the millennium, both squads are hoping to return to their former national glory.
"We are gunning for the national championship, but right now we are focusing on gaining experience," Elias said.
Perennial powerhouses, both Crimson teams have been dominating in the 1990s. The women captured the national championship each year from 1993 to 1997; the men have followed suit, taking home the honors from 1994 to 1998.
The men and women next take the court on Dec. 4 in a triple-header against Cornell, Colby and Bates.
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