BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic women's tennis team fell to Harvard early Saturday afternoon by a 4-2 score. With the loss, FAU's record drops to 5-8 while Harvard improves to 10-5 in 2026.
THE BEGINNING
The Owls dropped the doubles point with losses on courts #1 and #3. Court #2 was tied at five games all, when the match was abandoned.
THE MIDDLE
FAU redshirt freshman
Katrin Pavkova was the first to capture a singles court with a 6-2, 6-0 victory. Pavkova's efforts evened the score at 1-1. Harvard broke the tie with a top court win. The 2-1 lead held for more than 30 minutes before it was pushed to 3-1 courtesy of a court #3 win.
THE FINALE
Freshman
Alexia Patru captured court #5 to pull the Owls within one at 3-2 and then joined her teammates on court two where a third-set tiebreaker was in progress. Harvard won the tiebreaker to clinch the match. Court #6 was well into its third set but it was abandoned.
THE RESULT
Florida Atlantic (5-8) 2 vs Harvard (10-5) 4
03/21/2026 at Boca Raton, Fla. -- Kimberly V. Strauss Tennis Center
Doubles
1 Kavya Karra and Stephanie Yakoff (HAR) def.
Panna Bartha and
Katrin Pavkova (FAU) 6-4
2
Malika Amirgaliyeva and
Alexia Patru (FAU) vs. Kate Kim and Clair Shao (HAR) 5-5 UF
3 Natalie Block and Natasha Rajaram (HAR) def.
Malwina Rowinska and
Maya Shanok (FAU)
6-1
Singles
1 Stephanie Yakoff (HAR) def.
Panna Bartha (FAU) 6-4, 6-2
2 Kavya Karra (HAR) def.
Malwina Rowinska (FAU) 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
3 Clair Shao (HAR) def.
Malika Amirgaliyeva (FAU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
4
Katrin Pavkova (FAU) def. Anna-Raphael Serghi (HAR) 6-2, 6-0
5
Alexia Patru (FAU) def. Natalie Block (HAR) 1-6, 7-6(7-3), 6-1
6
Maya Shanok (FAU) vs. Kate Kim (HAR) 1-6, 7-5, 2-5 UF
MATCH NOTES
Order of finish: Singles – 4, 1, 3, 5, 2; Doubles – 3, 1 | Start Time: 11a.m. Duration: 3:40
PHOTO GALLERY
Gallery: (3-21-2026) Harvard at Florida Atlantic
UP NEXT
FAU will return to the courts on Friday, Mar. 27 when the Owls are scheduled to play host to Delaware at 11 a.m. All matches at the Florida Atlantic Kimberly V. Strauss Tennis Center are free and open to the public.
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