And finally, there’s Gemmell, who didn’t drop a single game in regular season play as she compiled an 11-0 record from the No. 1 position. Post-national competition, the rookie was 16-0 with numerous accolades under her belt: CSA Individual National Champion, All-America first team and All-Ivy League team honors, and Ivy League Player and Rookie of the Year.

Friday evening officially marks the start of the 2010-2011 season, as Harvard takes on No. 10 Brown at the Barnaby Courts. The action will continue through the weekend when Harvard faces No. 6 Stanford and No. 9 Williams in a Sunday double-header.

After the Thanksgiving break, the team will be back in action against No. 8 Dartmouth at home and then No. 7 Cornell for its first game outside of Cambridge.

Following winter break, the squad will face its toughest competition. After playing No. 12 Bates, the Crimson will face the lethal lineup of No. 3 Trinity, No. 5 Penn, No. 4 Princeton, and No. 2 Yale to finish off the regular season.

“My feeling is that Yale, Princeton, and Trinity…seem to be the three other teams along with us that I think are the strongest teams vying for top spots this year,” Way said.

Mashruwala agreed with her coach’s assessment, but her focus remains on the challenges at the present.

“[Yale and Trinity] are matches that are later in the season,” Mashruwala said. “We’re basically taking each match as it comes.”

—Staff writer Molly E. Kelly can be reached at mkelly@college.harvard.edu.