The NCAA varsity women's league, NIRA, got their 7s season started at Harvard University Saturday with the Crimson 7s.

Hosts Harvard defeated West Point 25-17 in the final to take the title. This tournament is part of a series involving NIRA teams from across the divisions—so DI programs such as Harvard, Army, and Dartmouth face off with DII programs such as West Chester and AIC and DIII programs such as University of New England.

While this was the first 7s tournament of the spring for Harvard, Army was coming off a win at the AIC 7s.

In pool play, Army fielded two sides, shutting out AIC 17-0 and 46-0, beating UNE 29-5, and shutting out West Chester 34-0. 

West Point I ended up 2-1 in Pool B, losing 17-15 to Harvard.

For Harvard, the day started out close as West Chester came back to make it a tight one 22-19. But tries from Sofie Fella, Jara Emtage-Cave, Brogan Mior, and Emtage-Cave again was enough.

The Crimson then put AIC to the sword 43-0, with Sabrina Kim torching the Yellow Jackets for three tries and Alex Pipkin scoring two.

the Harvard-Army game then would decide the top seed out of the pool. Army stormed out of the game and led 15-0 at halftime. But Fella's try seemed to turn the tide and he second put Harvard within a score at 15-10. With no time left, Mior raced in to tie the game. Pipkin coolly slotted the conversion and Harvard had won.

In Pool A Dartmouth beat Mount St. Mary's 17-10 behind tries from Anjali Pant, Sophie Ragg, and Safie Schier. They then shut out Sacred Heart 50-0 with Abbey Savin, Emily Henrich, Pant, and Ale Ada all scoring twice. 

So on to the semifinals,. There Army defended well and held Dartmouth to just the one try 19-7. Harvard shut out Sacred Heart 32-0.

In the final, Harvard started much better with Fella scoring in the first 20 seconds. Fella added a second and Emtage-Cave's try put Harvard up 15-0. But of course the Crimson remembered that West Point had led by that score and lost. That awareness was personified by a cover tackle from Fella to save a try.

Army did eventually score and closed to 15-12. Then Mior charged through several defenders to give her side a cushion, and Nafanua Malietoa Fitisemanu sealed it. Army did score at the end, but it wasn't enough. Harvard on 25-17.

This series goes on to Brown University next week. Many of the teams in this series have already committed to the USA Rugby 7s Collegiate Championship, and will join the D1 Elite programs Life, Lindenwood, Penn State, and Central Washington in a massive 7s showdown in Atlanta.

But there are still spots to claim in the championship tournament May 14-15 in Atlanta, with the likes of AIC, Wes Chester, and Sacred Heart (4th at Harvard) looking for a place in the spotlight.

Tickets to the USA Rugby 7s Collegiate Championiships can be purchased here>>