Harvard greatly improved its play between days two and three, dropping from a 309 to a 295 at the par-72 Atlantic City Country Club. But in the end, 295 in the third round proved to be four strokes too many, and Yale’s 293 gave the Bulldogs the crown.

“We did great [at the Ivy League Championships],” Rhoads said. “We had debatably our best tournament for the season, which is a huge goal for us. We’re trying to win Ivies every year,…[and] we were right there.”

Once again, Kabasakalis led the way individually for the Crimson. Her +8 put her in second place overall, landing her an All-Ivy accolade.

“[Kabasakalis], at the end of the year, did exactly what every player and every senior and every captain would hope that they would do, which is: she super stepped it up,” Rhoads said. “Playing that well as a senior, as a captain, leading into graduation—that was huge. So I was super happy and super proud of her.”

From here, the team looks toward next year, when two talented freshmen, including a player who made the cut at the US Open, join the team.

And with only one senior graduating, Rhoads is excited for the 2011-2012 campaign.

“When you’re not quite as successful as you should be, a lot of times that leaves a bad taste in your mouth, and it lays the foundation for working hard,” Rhoads said. “I think our experience this year and who we have coming in—I’m optimistic for next year.”

—Staff writer Robert S. Samuels can be reached at robertsamuels@college.harvard.edu.