W. tennis hopes to slice up ‘SC
Trojans pose threat despite struggling through season
By Hye Kwon
Daily Bruin Staff
One thing to expect from any UCLA-USC matchup is the unexpected.
It seems that no matter how big of a favorite one team is, the
other team has a knack for getting the upset win.
As the UCLA women’s tennis team hosts USC today at 1:30 p.m. in
the Los Angeles Tennis Center, the players hope that there are
exceptions to the rule.
The Bruins (11-3 overall, 3-2 Pacific 10) come in as the No. 6
team in the nation with only two blemishes in conference, both
against fourth-ranked Arizona. USC (2-2 Pac-10), on the other hand,
has been struggling through a 6-4 season.
A lot of the Trojan problems are a result of injuries which have
been plaguing the team all year long. Suzanne Italiano and Karolina
Baklarova, two players atop the USC ladder, went down with injuries
earlier this year, forcing USC to scramble a lineup together
against the likes of Arizona, Arizona State and Pepperdine.
If its recent performance is any indication, USC’s injury
situation seems to be a thing of the past. Last weekend, the
Trojans earned a split against the Arizona schools, equalling
UCLA’s performance. Even more impressive was the Trojan showing
against Texas less than two weeks ago.
The Longhorns came into the match with a 4-0 record, ranked No.
3 in the nation. However, USC hung around all match long before
falling 5-4 to the defending NCAA champions.
* * *
During spring break, the Bruins play two critical matches
against a pair of West Coast foes. On March 29, UCLA hosts
Pepperdine at the LATC at 1:30 p.m. The Waves have been one of the
hottest teams in the country and their play has translated into a
No. 10 ranking.
Led by Isabela Petrov and Angela Lawrence, Pepperdine gave UCLA
problems during their last meeting in a 5-4 loss. After its bout
with the Waves, UCLA hosts Washington the next day at 1 p.m.
FRED HE/Daily Bruin
Playing last Friday against Arizona, Anicia Mendez won her
singles match, giving UCLA a chance to beat the Wildcats in doubles
play.
Comments to webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu