Two bright spots did emerge for Harvard later in singles play, as Naqushbandi, competing in the third position, outlasted UNLV's Marianne Bakken in three sets (6-4, 4-6, 6-1). Junior Sarah McGinty did the same in the No. 5 slot, winning 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.

"I was very pleased with my performance," Naqushbandi said. "I have been training very hard lately. Sarah won as well, and we were both pretty pleased."

Aside from those two matches, however, no Crimson player was able to claim a single set. Consequently, the No. 69 Rebels (3-5) got to celebrate their first win over a ranked team this season.

Against the Sun Devils (6-1) on Monday, the Crimson collided headfirst with one of the nation's best programs. ASU has shut out its opponents 7-0 in five of its six wins so far this year, and has not dropped a set in singles play in its last three meetings.

In the No. 1 singles match, Sun Devil Adria Engel, ranked No. 45 nationally, just edged Ghazal 7-5 in the first set. But Ghazal succumbed 6-0 in the second set as Engel improved to 5-2 individually.

The rest of ASU's singles slate cruised to victory over its Harvard counterparts. The next closest match was between Harvard junior Jennie Timmony and ASU's Cindy Sureephong. Timmony played well, but fell 6-4, 6-4.

The victory was the fourth in a row for the surging Sun Devils, who had also blanked UNLV 7-0 two days before facing Harvard.