Athens, Ga. — Kyle McPhillips floated up a lob which came back to her in the form of a smash that buried her in a 0-40 hole.
Up 5-3, the sophomore reminded herself that she could not afford to be broken, and she maintained her composure. She proceeded to rally herself back into the game until a 40-40 game score graced the scoreboard. McPhillips and the NCAA title game crowd would become well-acquainted with that score over the course of 12 minutes.
Neither her nor her opponent Caroline Price capitalized on numerous game points. After reaching a fourth championship serve, McPhillips embarked on one more rally.
UCLA’s No. 3 player never left the baseline in trading 20 balls with Price, who advanced to the net to attack a short backhand.
Price could only muster a volley that flew out of bounds to McPhillips’ right.
McPhillips’ teammates jumped around her and wrestled her to the ground in a celebration of screams that took the sophomore’s breath away.
The battle of attrition ended, and the women’s tennis team defeated the University of North Carolina 4-3 for UCLA’s 111th national championship.
“This is the single best accomplishment … of my life. I’ve been to Wimbledon, the Australian Open, the French Open, the U.S. Open,” McPhillips said. “Nothing compares to this.”
(Tim Bradbury/ Daily Bruin senior staff)
McPhillips’ climactic point proved emblematic of a day of traded punches.
UCLA jumped out to a 1-0 lead with an 8-7 (3) doubles point win by junior Robin Anderson and freshman Jennifer Brady that concluded a perfect doubles season for the Bruins as a team. Anderson, the No. 2 player in the country, then handled the one NCAA player ranked higher than her, Jamie Loeb, with a score of 6-2, 6-2.
UNC roared back by knocking off Brady and sophomore Catherine Harrison in straight sets. The Bruins and Tar Heels then traded three-set wins, with junior Chanelle Van Nguyen giving UCLA a 3-2 lead and junior Kaitlin Ray faltering en route to tie the match.
Despite the 2-2 and 3-3 ties and frantic, albeit extended, climactic game from McPhillips, Anderson felt much more nervous during her straight-set win than she ever did for her teammates.
“My team has worked so hard and they’re so talented,” Anderson said. “I knew that they were going to fight really hard to get their points, and I had so much confidence in them that they were going to pull it out.”
Coach Stella Sampras Webster saw the championship as her players’ to lose. She said she had not felt so confident about a team of hers since 2008, the year women’s tennis won its most recent championship before this season.
“I did feel like we were the best team this year. Of course, it’s not always the best team that wins,” Sampras Webster said. “We’re fortunate that we were able to fight and battle and pull out those points.”
Sampras Webster’s words implied that a willingness to fight was required to hoist an NCAA trophy, more a journey of a battle than a coronation.
The best team in Sampras Webster’s mind showed no shortage of fight Tuesday afternoon.
It is now a team of champions.