The UCLA women’s tennis team hopes the past will repeat
itself this weekend during the trip to Arizona State and
Arizona.
Last year, the Bruins swept both schools on their home courts,
giving up a combined three points. However, nagging injuries and
tougher competition will make it difficult to be that dominant
again.
“We really need to step it up,” head coach Stella
Sampras Webster said. “Both these schools are really
strong.”
Today, the No. 8 Sun Devils will look to avenge the 6-1 loss the
Bruins handed them last year in Tempe. Arizona State is 5-0 on the
season, surrendering only four sets in dual competition.
On Saturday, the team will travel to Tucson to face Arizona
(2-1), where it emerged victorious 5-2 last year.
Despite the one-sided results from last year’s trip,
Sampras Webster believes this year’s road trip will be far
from easy.
“Arizona has a lot of new players who are good,”
Sampras Webster said.
Among them is graduate student Emilie Scribot, who is undefeated
in dual matches this year and who also defeated UCLA’s Jackie
Carleton earlier this season at the Pac-10 Indoors.
This will be the first road trip to Pac-10 schools for a young
Bruin team still nursing injuries. Sophomore Sarah Gregg has a
pulled hamstring while senior Sara Walker, who did not play singles
in the Fresno State match, has a strained back. Both, however, are
expected to play. Additionally, the team’s match against
Arizona will be its third in four days.
“It’s going to be challenging, but you have to get
used to it if you want to win the national championship,”
Sampras Webster said. “We’ll see what kind of shape
we’re in.”
With Walker expected back at the top singles spot, the Bruins
will likely return to their usual lineup. Carleton will play at No.
2, Susi Wild at No. 3, Gregg at No. 4, Laura Gordon at No. 5 and
Anya Loncaric at No. 6. The Bruins will also need to have solid
doubles play, particularly against Arizona State, which has two
doubles teams ranked in the top 40.
Neither of the matches will count toward the Pac-10 standings,
as it is the Bruins’ first meeting with both teams in 2003.
When the Bruins face the Arizona schools again at home March 28 and
29, the matches will count as conference play.