So far this season, the UCLA women’s tennis team has shown that it can handle the best teams of the Pac-10. This Saturday, the Bruins will finally have a chance to add a win to their conference record.
The No. 4 Bruins (12-1) will head to Eugene, Ore., this weekend to take on Pac-10 rival Oregon for their first conference match of the season. Though the Bruins have played four matches against Pac-10 teams, none of them counted toward their conference record.
The Bruins are coming off three monumental wins and are serious contenders for the Pac-10 crown, garnering attention ever since their strong showing in the Team Indoor Championships.
“We definitely have a mark on our back now,” said UCLA coach Stella Sampras Webster after Wednesday’s win over USC. “We have teams looking at us, and they’re saying, “˜Hey, UCLA is the real deal.'”
The Ducks (5-7) have had a shaky season so far, losing the last six matches. Conversely, the Bruins have won their last six, the last three of which came against Top-25 teams. Oregon has not won against a ranked opponent.
The Ducks do not have any players ranked in the Top 100. UCLA senior Yasmin Schnack, the No. 5 player in the country, will likely face the Ducks’ Julia Metzger. Schnack had faced two of the country’s top players in the past week: California’s Jana Juricova and USC’s Maria Sanchez, ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively.
The last time the two teams met, UCLA defeated Oregon 6-1 at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. Historically, the Bruins have had quite a bit of success against the Ducks, beating them in each of the last 12 seasons. But the Bruins are not focusing solely on the numbers, as they are aware of the volatility of the conference.
“We’re being tested every time we play a Pac-10 match. These matches could go either way,” Sampras Webster said.
Because this is the first match that will count toward UCLA’s conference record, there is added pressure. The Bruins will look for a hot start to their conference season.
“It’s great that we won (the previous matches), but we have to keep our team rolling,” junior Andrea Remynse said after the USC match. “We are looking to win the Pac-10 this season.”