This will be Katz' second straight NCAA appearance. Last year, she finished eleventh in the 24-team field.

"There's a lot more pressure this time," Katz said. "It was really difficult last year, and this time it'll be just as hard, if not harder."

Katz, like the entire women's team, has improved a great deal in the past year. The foilists led the Crimson to an impressive 14-1 record in regular season play.

Although the team's overall finish at the Intercollegiate Fencing Association Championships last weekend had been relatively disappointing, this weekend's showing is a better inidication of the skill level the team has reached.

"The IFA's were more of a fun event than anything," Cha said. "This is what really counts."

A number of fencers who did not make it to the final round also made their mark yesterday. Captain Ellen Schulz made it to the round of 15 in the foil before falling when the field was narrowed down to ten. Foilist Mark Lee also performed well for the Crimson.

The NCAA Championships will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Mar. 22-25.