On Friday afternoon, as countless UCLA students made their way up and down Bruin Walk, a single easel jutted out into the walkway by the usually vacant Straus Stadium.
The easel boasted that “free pizza” would accompany the UCLA women’s tennis match against rival California. Slowly but surely, students trickled into the stadium and located the aroma of the pizza just as the matches got underway.
After about 100 people devoured the pizza in a matter of minutes, it seemed as though the rush of anxious spectators peaked and that the crowd would eventually dwindle – that is, until people took notice of the matches.
Deadlocked in each of their matches, the top three Bruin singles players alternated tiebreaker sets against their respective opponents in a seemingly neverending barrage of lead changes.
In the end, however, it was junior Chanelle Van Nguyen who sealed the victory for UCLA, earning the crucial fourth point needed to earn her team a tight win over No. 4 California (5-3).
“Physically, I’m not playing my best tennis right now,” Van Nguyen said. “Mentally I had to stay tough throughout the match, and I believe that’s what got me through it.”
Down two games to five in her first set, Van Nguyen fiercely battled back to force a tiebreaker, winning the first set 7-6 (6) in a match where every point had to be earned.
“I told her to hang in there, because her opponent was slapping winners everywhere and was inconsistent, so it was hard for her to get a rhythm, but once she got in one, she was able to dictate what she needed to,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster.
Initially, the match seemed to suggest another easy victory for the Bruins, following two quick 6-2 and 6-1 wins to earn the team the doubles point. It wasn’t until singles play that Cal proved its No. 4 national rank.
“Cal’s always been a tough team for us to beat because they’re such strong players. We knew after doubles that their strength is in singles, it was just a matter of who was going to get those points,” Sampras Webster said.
UCLA junior Robin Anderson initially struggled against Cal senior and No. 37-ranked Anett Schutting, dropping the first set 6-2 as well as the first two games of her second set. Undaunted, Anderson rattled off wins in four consecutive games, winning the set and forcing a tiebreak third set in which she fell just short of completing an impressive comeback.
“I could either try to stay aggressive or I could try to rally with her,” Anderson said. “I started coming forward a bit more, was taking more balls on the rise and I started making more of them, but in the end I was still making some errors.”
UCLA’s victory over a formidable Cal squad secured the Bruins’ 10th win of the season (10-1) as well as preserved the team’s perfect record on its home court.
“The team has been working hard together, so it’s nice to get that reward,” Sampras Webster said. “It makes you feel good, but we’re going to play them again and I’m sure they’re going to be better next time we meet.”