The Bruins were handed a gift on a silver platter, and they
dropped it. Last month, the USC women’s tennis team presented
UCLA with an injury-riddled, inexperienced squad, and the Bruins
thanked them by handing the Trojans a 4-3 victory.
Today, the No. 8 Bruins will have a chance to redeem themselves
at home, but it will be against a healthy, more seasoned No. 12
Trojan team.
“We remember the first one,” coach Stella Sampras
Webster said. “Our players are going to get up for (this
match) because of the way we lost.”
It started with the doubles last time, where UCLA picked up
seven games on Courts 1 and 3, but couldn’t pull either match
out. Doubles may only be worth one point, but Sampras Webster
can’t emphasize its importance enough. In their last three
meetings, the Bruins have fallen to the Trojans 4-3 twice, and in
both of those matches they could not pick up that first crucial
point.
“We’ve got to get that doubles point,” she
said. “We should have had it last time.”
Doubles was just the first missed opportunity for the Bruins on
the day.
In singles, USC’s Judy DeVera suffered a sprained ankle
while leading Sarah Gregg 6-1, 3-0, giving the Bruins their first
point instead of the Trojans their third.
Injuries also limited USC on Court 2, where UCLA freshman
Daniela Bercek gave the Bruins their second point against sophomore
Carine Vermuelen, who sprained her achilles tendon in doubles.
Except for Jackie Carleton’s win over Luana Magnani on the
top court, the Bruins lost wherever the Trojans were healthy.
Today, the Bruins will see a Trojan team at full strength, but that
doesn’t bother the Bruins.
“We want to beat them at their best,” Sampras
Webster said.
To avenge the loss, the Bruins may have to do something the
Trojans couldn’t do last month ““ win while injured.
Bercek’s playing status is up in the air because she injured
her foot last week against Pepperdine. Although an MRI taken
Thursday came back negative, she may be the one weighed down on
Court 2 this time around.
Besides Bercek’s foot, there are plenty of other question
marks for the Bruins. Carleton, who has been a staple at No. 1 for
the Bruins this season, has lost three of her last four matches,
including Sunday’s 6-4, 6-1 loss to Petra Dizdar.
“Every team has a really good No. 1,” Sampras
Webster said. “It’s not like she’s getting blown
out. She just needs to hang in there and she’ll get her
wins.”
How Lauren Fisher responds in her first singles action against
the Trojans since the 2002 NCAA Championships will also go a long
way in determining the Bruin’s fate.
Although that 2002 match was the Bruins’ last victory over
the Trojans, she does not consider any added pressure for the
upcoming match.
“I don’t know about more pressure, but it will be
more exciting,” said Fisher, who has gone 3-1 since returning
to the singles lineup on a regular basis.
The pressure of the rivalry did not seem to affect USC’s
young team in the first meeting. Freshmen Anca Anastasiu and Diane
Matias won their debuts against the Bruins, and DeVera appeared
well on her way before sustaining the injury.
Yet even though these players have gained confidence and
experience since last month, Sampras Webster acknowledges one
advantage her players will have over the Trojans.
“We’re going to be playing in front of our home
crowd with friends there,” she said. “It’s
motivation. We don’t want to lose to ‘SC at
home.”