Just as it did with the men, inexperience in the sabre also plagued the Crimson women. Harvard dropped six out of nine matches in that category.

Unlike their male counterparts, however, the women's team was able to compensate for its shortcomings in the sabre, as the Crimson dominated Brandeis with both the foil and the epee, winning each of those events by a convincing 8-1 margin.

Four Harvard women fencers went undefeated on the night. Junior captain Elizabeth Aranow (5-3, 5-1, 5-0) and freshman Rebecca Rendell (5-2, 5-2, 5-4) posted three victories each in the epee division. Junior Emily Katz (5-3, 5-0, 5-2) and sophomore Ellen Schulz (5-1, 5-0, 5-0) enjoyed similar success with the foil.

An added bright spot for the Crimson women was the play of freshman Hilary Robinson, who won two out of the three matches Harvard won in the sabre.

Originally an equestrian, Robinson is a newcomer to the sport of fencing. Already, however, she is beginning to show enough promise to draw rave reviews from her coach.

"Hilary is a very good athlete and a hard worker," Brand said. "Plus, she has talent, which helps a lot. She's already learning the proper timing and she has great footwork."

Along with Robinson, fellow freshmen walk-ons San Kleindienst and Amy Bei are refining their sabre skills as they become more accustomed to their new weapon. Though the pair combined for only one win last night, Brand remains confident that their collective performance will improve as they gain experience.