After a convincing victory over LMU to gain some momentum, the UCLA women’s tennis team will take a trip in hopes of adding to its growing confidence.
The No. 15 Bruins (6-4) head to the Pacific Northwest to face Washington and Washington State today and on Saturday, respectively.
UCLA coach Stella Sampras Webster understands the importance of two dominating performances this weekend when her squad opens up the Pac-10 season in its only matchup against both teams.
With No. 8 USC looming on the Bruins’ schedule, Sampras Webster believes this weekend’s matches will help provide the foundation her team needs to take on the Trojans at home next week. The Bruins’ crosstown rival will also be making the trip to the state of Washington and will face the teams on opposite days.
Though UCLA has already lost two matches to Pac-10 teams California and Stanford, those dual matches won’t count against the Bruins since it was the first meeting between the two teams. But since the Bruins face off against the Cougars and Huskies just once each season, these meetings will count toward Pac-10 standings, and the team thinks it has a good chance of getting off on the right foot in conference play.
“We have a good chance to do well and these next couple of matches should really help us regain our confidence,” sophomore Ashley Joelson said earlier this week.
MEN’S TENNIS HEADS TO SAN DIEGO: The men’s tennis team will meanwhile travel a far shorter distance to compete in a doubles tournament.
Though not all the members of the No. 5 Bruin squad will be able to play, since Chris Surapol has been sidelined since Sunday because of an injury, several players will still be taking part in the Pacific Coast Doubles Championships in La Jolla.
The top Bruin duo will be seniors Benjamin Kohlloeffel and Philipp Gruendler, who were ranked No. 1 nationally for much of last season and look to reach that level once again. Also taking the courts for UCLA will be sophomore Haythem Abid and junior Mathieu Dehaine, who played their first match as a team together Wednesday against Pepperdine.
Though Abid said he felt as though he struggled, he has confidence in his new partner’s doubles game and was impressed by how he handled himself against the Waves.
“Mathieu was playing solid and hitting his serves really well,” Abid said. “I just need to step up and play well also. My backhand has been struggling, especially when I return serves.”
Another Bruin tandem will be sophomore Michael Look and junior Jeremy Drean, a team that played together sparingly last season and just once this year.
Wednesday’s match against the Waves was the last home match for the Bruins until March 30, but UCLA will be taking on USC next Friday in their next dual match.