From one end of the country to the other, UCLA women’s tennis travels to Atlanta, looking to continue a strong start to 2017 following a season-opening win.
This Saturday, the Bruins will compete in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoors Qualifying Tournament, with their first test being the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats. In only the second match of the season, coach Stella Sampras Webster said she looks forward to the opportunity to play a team ranked in the top 20.
“I think it is going to be a test to us,” Sampras Webster said. “Every time we’re tested, we’re going to learn a lot, and I’m excited to see where our team’s at.”
Finishing with a singles win against Loyola Marymount, junior Terri Fleming will be returning home for the match in Atlanta, and is excited to play in front of family and friends. Regardless of the long travel distance, Fleming believes the team gets ready for the match in the same way.
“It’s the same preparation,” Fleming said. “I don’t try to treat any match more or less than the other. They all require the same preparation and organization out of you.”
Traveling and playing in tournaments are routine for the athletes. However, this weekend, UCLA will also tackle the challenge of competing indoors. The game moves at a faster pace, Sampras Webster said, so her players must focus on being more aggressive, serving consistently and preparing for the quickness of the ball.
Freshman Ena Shibahara, ranked fourth in the nation in singles, provides a strong presence at the top of the Bruins’ lineup going into the tournament. She said she feels prepared, having previously taken on a strong doubles pair from Kentucky, Mami Adachi and Aldila Sutjiadi, with redshirt freshman Jada Hart.
“I am pretty confident about my teammates,” Shibahara said. “Especially because Jada and I have played one of the teams from Kentucky at indoors, so we’re familiar with them and know what our competition is going to be like.”
The Bruins believe that the positive attitude and chemistry of their team is going to be crucial to coming home with a victory.
“I think the key will be to just work as a team,” Shibahara said. “Having the best team spirit is definitely our strength and I think that is going to help us bring home a lot of victories.”
Serving consistently and then transitioning to the rally are components that UCLA seeks to improve on this weekend and as the season progresses, according to the players. The team is capable of refining these skills, but it comes down to executing the game plan and hitting the right spots on the court.
“We have such an aggressive team, we have shot makers, and it’s a matter of executing,” Sampras Webster said. “If we are executing our weapons, I think we can do extremely well.”
Coming out with a win Saturday will not only take the Bruins into another match Sunday, against either Georgia Tech or Pennsylvania, but will also boost their confidence and morale, said Sampras Webster.
UCLA flew to Atlanta on Thursday, allowing it to adjust to the atmosphere and court conditions.
“If we’re all ready to go and fired up, I think we’ll be tough to beat for anybody,” Fleming said. “We have a good team and we’re solid in all numbers, so as long as our mindset is there, and we’re focused and ready to go from the start, we’ll be good.”