The Irish have a diverse and deep lineup. Junior Casey Smith, the 91st-ranked singles player in collegiate tennis, starts at the No. 1 spot. Taborga and Haddock-Morales play Nos. 2 and 3, respectively.

At No. 4 is junior Aaron Talarico, who is currently riding an 11-match winning streak. Rounding out the singles are Brian Farrell and Matt Daly.

Talarico and Taborga pair up at No. 1 doubles and form an impressive combination. The two were selected for their second straight NCAA doubles tournament appearance, one of only five returning teams from 2000.

If the Crimson wants to win the doubles point it may have to focus its energy on the 2 and 3 spots, where the talent level drops considerably.

“The doubles point is fairly important,” Barker said. “It dictates the way you go after the other team.”

The University of Washington and Hofstra also play on Saturday. The winner of that match will take on the Notre Dame-Harvard winner in Sunday’s second round match at noon.

Washington, the 18th-ranked team and the top seed among the four teams competing at Harvard, finished the season with an 18-7 record, 3-4 in Pac-10 play.

The Huskies are led by sophomore Matt Hanlin, the No. 55 singles player in the nation. Another key component of the team is Slovenian transfer student Andrej Bizjak, who’s ranked right behind Hanlin at No. 56 and plays No. 2 singles.