The UCLA women’s tennis team said it experienced a flurry of emotions in Virginia over the past few years: jubilation, disappointment, frustration. After letting a 3-0 lead slip through their fingers in 2014, the Bruins had a chance to replace the memories of that devastating loss with a run for a second ITA National Women’s Team Indoor Championship title.
After a tight Saturday matchup against No. 9 Georgia (6-2), the Bruins will have to wait another year, falling to the Bulldogs 4-2 in the quarterfinals of the championship.
For the third straight year, the No. 1 Bruins (5-1) were unable to sustain a championship run and their trip to Charlottesville, Va., ended with their first loss of the season.
After easily dominating opponents all season, winning 19 straight sets, the Bruins were faced with their first challenges before the tournament began.
Sophomore Jennifer Brady and junior Catherine Harrison, the No. 2 and No. 5 singles players respectively, did not compete in singles because of injury. Although freshman Kristin Wiley attempted to play through her Achilles tendon injury, the undermanned Bruins were unable to compete with a top-10 team.
“It was tough (missing Brady and Harrison),” said senior Robin Anderson. “Jenny and Cat bring a lot of experience.”
Having not dropped a doubles point since 2013, the Bruins began by falling behind early, losing two doubles matches 6-3 and 6-2. Despite the setback, the No. 1 doubles team in the country – Harrison and junior Kyle McPhillips – lived up to its ranking with a strong 6-1 showing.
The Bulldogs would not relent, striking first with a quick, straight-set victory.
“They played confidently, swung freely,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster. “They had an edge and played to win.”
UCLA continued to struggle against Georgia’s aggressive tennis. But senior Kaitlin Ray would earn the Bruins’ first point, downing her opponent 7-5, 6-2, and McPhillips would follow suit with a tight 6-3, 7-6 (2) straight-set win.
Three of the remaining courts were pushed to three sets as the Bulldogs and the Bruins fought for control over the match. Though her opponent was at match point, Anderson was able to recover and force a deciding third set. However, she was unable to finish as Georgia sealed the upset victory, sending UCLA into a consolation match against the University of Miami.
UCLA last claimed the title in Virginia in 2012 but has failed to replicate that same success, falling to lower-ranked teams each time.
Yet, after a 4-0 victory over the No. 12 Hurricanes (3-2) on Sunday, the Bruins returned to Westwood with a renewed drive to get better.
“It motivates me for sure,” Wiley said. “We’re going to work on ourselves and use our anger to fuel us and come back strong.”
The Bruins will be able to test themselves and the results of their motivation in their next home match against the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs (4-3) on Saturday in a nonconference matchup.