The No. 3 UCLA women’s tennis team (1-0) will once again be competing in a different format this weekend, as they host and participate in the qualifying rounds for the ITA National Team Indoors.
The team began dual match play last week with a win against Cal State Northridge but will change the style for this weekend’s tournament, which consists of single elimination matches leading up to a national bracket in Madison, Wis. on Feb. 12. The Bruins will start off play against Minnesota (1-0) on Saturday and will play either DePaul (3-0) or LSU (2-0) on Sunday if they win.
Taking the change in stride, the team believes this kind of play will pay off later in the year.
“I think it will help prepare our younger class for NCAA play, so they can figure out how it all works,” junior Stephanie Wetmore said. “This weekend it’s only two matches back to back so it should be OK, but up in Wisconsin it gets harder because it’s four in a row, hopefully. We just have to make sure we take care of the little things.”
This weekend also presents an opportunity for the Bruins to play some schools they wouldn’t usually see, broadening their experience before the postseason.
“I think we are just excited,” coach Stella Sampras Webster said. “Excited to play some teams we would not normally get to play during our season. Playing different players is always exciting. You play in your conference and you play the same players over and over, and you already know them so well. You have the surprise effect of having to figure things out while you are out there competing.”
Senior Ashley Joelson echoes her coach’s view.
“It’s nice to get out of the Pac-10,” she said. “We don’t get out of the Pac-10 much since it’s so strong, so it’s good to be able to play some other schools and see what’s out there.”
The Bruins go into this weekend doing well and hoping to continue their success by continuing the learning process.
“It’s just about working on our game,” Joelson said. “Getting settled and knowing what to do on match days. Knowing how to warm up and how you need to play, what you need to do for your team. It’s good to have this kind of pressure on us early in the year.”
Sampras Webster agrees with her player’s philosophy and sees this early season play as a stepping-stone towards the end of the year.
“I think our doubles will definitely improve,” she said. “These teams haven’t played a whole lot together … They are going to feel more comfortable with their partners … Singles-wise, just getting our players to feel comfortable with where they are at, the spots they’re playing. Get them used to playing in the team atmosphere. It just gives them more experience down the road.”