This is their court. This is where they shine. And now that the
UCLA women’s tennis team is back at the Los
Angeles Tennis Center, things will be very different. Though it has
been just three days since the No. 15 Bruins lost 4-3 to the No. 3
Trojans of USC at Marks Tennis Stadium in one of their tightest
matches of the season, they know today could be a completely
different story. “I know we can do it, and after
playing them on Tuesday we have a better feel for what they can do
and what we can do,†sophomore Tracy Lin said. Though
it is rare in collegiate tennis, the two teams will meet for the
second time in a week this afternoon, in which the fate of the
Bruins will be determined not only by their adjustments, but also
by the intensity of the atmosphere. When they traveled to USC,
there was very minimal Trojan fan support compared to what UCLA
hopes to be playing in front of today. In fact, the Bruins have
been promoting the match in many ways, including free merchandise
giveaways and free pizza for the first 100 fans.
“We’re disappointed with
losing on Tuesday, but we’re definitely looking
to take advantage of the home court advantage,â€
sophomore Elizabeth Lumpkin said.
“We’re going to feed off of
the crowd, and definitely off of each other as well.â€
Though there may be disappointment from the earlier loss the Bruins
suffered at the hands of the Trojans, the team had no time to feel
the aftermath, jumping right back into its practice routine. But
this time, the Bruins were able to pinpoint areas of weakness, and
the style of their opponent is fresh on their minds. One key area
of focus for the team has been capturing the doubles point. But
regardless of whether the Bruins are able to do so today, they are
confident in their singles lineup to pick up the slack.
“We know that if we win the doubles point or not,
we can win the overall match,†Lumpkin said.
“We have a lot of confidence with our singles
ability.â€
SENIOR CEREMONY: Senior Laura Gordon will be
honored before the match for her contributions to the UCLA program
in her four years here. The team captain began her career as a
recruited walk-on and has improved tremendously to gain the
Bruins’ top spot on the ladder.
“It’s crazy because it all
just went by so fast,†Gordon said.
“I get pretty pumped on the court, but
I’m sure at the end of the day
it’s going to be sad.â€
“I want her to win, and I want the team to win
for her,†Lin said. “I know as a
senior it would be a great way to leave, to win your last home
match against your rival school.â€