The last time women’s tennis didn’t host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament was nearly 10 years ago. The Bruins have had a dominant stretch in which they not only hosted the opening rounds, but also advanced to the round of 16.
This season’s team needs nothing short of a miracle to be in contention to host. Even with a strong record and a top-25 national ranking, the Bruins won’t likely receive a top-16 seed in the NCAA Tournament and will likely have to travel for the first leg of the competition.
In 2006, the last time UCLA didn’t host, it swept both San Diego State and Pepperdine on the road to advance to the round of 16. But it may be more difficult this year because the Bruins have had just four dual matches away from home, and have gone 1-4 against teams currently ranked in the top 25.
“We know that anywhere we go for regionals, we have an opportunity to win,” said sophomore Terri Fleming. “We’ve dealt with a lot of obstacles this year in itself so we’re used to adversity and stuff that’s more difficult. It’s just one more thing to get through.”
While No. 23 UCLA (14-5, 6-2 Pac-12) is out of the conversation for a top seed in the tournament, the team can still make a statement against crosstown rival No. 21 USC (11-4, 6-0) on Sunday afternoon.
The Bruins won their previous bout against the Trojans 5-2 on February 25. It was the last defeat for USC, however, as the team has strung together seven straight wins since then, including a sweep of No. 22 Arizona State, who edged UCLA 4-3 last weekend. Five Trojans are ranked in the ITA singles top 100 and the team has only lost six singles matches during its current winning streak.
UCLA’s players and coaches are aware of the hostile crowd at Marks Tennis Stadium this weekend. This week’s practices have focused primarily on providing mental toughness to help players, notably the underclassmen, disregard the noisy environment.
“It will be an atmosphere that many of our players haven’t been in,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster. “They are going to have to control their emotions and not let anything distract them and affect their performance.
For the seniors, who have been in this situation multiple times during their collegiate career, it will be just another match against opposing players and the crowd as well.
“I’m a senior, so I’ve seen it and dealt with it before,” said senior Kyle McPhillips. “I just focus on the next point and keep things on my court and if anyone is screaming on another court, it doesn’t affect me at all.”
The Bruins’ inconsistency in conference play has been a major problem in more recent matches. During Pac-12 play, the Bruins have struggled on the back courts with only 10 wins to 14 losses. While the doubles teams have improved against conference opponents, they have still ceded the point in three of their past eight matches. To beat USC, players believe their game will need to be stable in both singles and doubles.
“I’ve been all over the place with my game recently,” McPhillips said. “I need to be more stable and be more consistent for the entire match, not just the first set or the second, but from the first point to the last point.”