The day has arrived.
For months, members of the UCLA women’s tennis team have
been practicing and playing in tournaments, waiting for today, the
first dual match of the season.
After a series of split squad meetings, the complete Bruin team
will open the season together.
Now is their chance to showcase their talent as a team as they
take on Loyola Marymount at the Los Angeles Tennis Center this
afternoon.
The No. 12 Bruins are looking to extend their perfect record
against the Lions to 14-0 with the help of a youthful but talented
squad.
This LMU team is different from past teams, and will provide a
somewhat greater challenge than it did last year when it was
convincingly beaten 6-1 by the Bruins.
“We’re excited to open up our season tomorrow
against a team that is definitely stronger than they’ve been
in the past,” coach Stella Sampras Webster said.
“It’ll be a good match and the players are just
excited to start and to play as a team.”
The players are indeed excited to finally come together and play
as one, especially after becoming a more well-knit group after a
season of ups and downs.
“We’re getting along really well,” senior
Laura Gordon said. “Team chemistry is a big part off why
teams do well, and right now I think it’s pretty good so
hopefully it’ll be a good season.”
Gordon, the team’s lone senior, is coming off her best
tournament performance after a runner-up finish at the Freeman
Memorial Championships in Las Vegas.
During her tournament run, Gordon defeated the nation’s
third-ranked player, Alice Barnes of Stanford, in the quarterfinals
as well as the nation’s tenth-ranked player, Theresa Logar,
also a member of the top-ranked Cardinal team.
Her luck against the Cardinal eventually ran out, however, as
she was ousted by Celia Durkin in the finals.
“When you beat anyone that’s good, especially from
Stanford, it helps out the confidence a lot,” Gordon said.
“Going into dual match season after a good tournament
helps.”
Not everyone on the team will be as confident as Gordon just
yet.
Freshmen Anna-Viktoria Lind and Ashley Joelson will get their
first taste of collegiate dual match play against the Lions with
hopes of capturing victories for the Bruins.
Heading into their first matches donning blue and gold, the
freshmen enter the game with a bit of nervous energy.
“I think usually freshmen are a little nervous before
their first dual match,” Sampras Webster said.
“But I think it’s a great match for them to start
with, to get it under their belt, to win, to get the jitters out. I
think they’ll be fine.”
Distribution of the talent will be highlighted for the first
time today as Sampras Webster will utilize key players at every
spot in the lineup.
She will let the players fill in the role that is expected of
them, though it may not come after just one match.
“We’re confident with any lineup we decide to use,
because everyone is so good,” Sampras Webster said.
“It’s just a matter of everyone understanding their
role. Wherever they are, they’re expected to perform and get
that win.”
For the Bruins, today’s match may simply serve as
preparation for the upcoming matches against two conference rivals
ranked in the top-five nationally, Stanford and USC.
“I think it’ll be a good first match for us just to
get some matches and hopefully we’ll come out and win,”
Gordon said.
“But it’s good to get matches before we start Pac-10
(play).”
But Sampras Webster doesn’t want to get too far ahead of
herself just yet. Instead, she chooses to focus on the task at hand
this afternoon when they face off against LMU.
“We need our team healthy and focused and ready to
go,” she said. “Nowadays you can’t really take
any team lightly.”