For the first time this season, the Bruins are ready to hit the road.
The No. 3 UCLA women’s tennis team heads to nearby Malibu to face No. 29 Pepperdine today in its first match away from the Los Angeles Tennis Center.
The UCLA women were dominant in their first dual-match of the season, defeating Cal State Northridge by a 7-0 tally on Wednesday. The Bruins were nearly perfect at the LATC, winning every singles match-up in straight sets.
Returning sophomore Andrea Remynse, the No. 31 ranked singles player in the nation, and senior Ashley Joelson only dropped one game in their respective singles victories.
Aside from overwhelming the Matadors in singles play, UCLA also eased through doubles play, obtaining victories at all three courts.
Things were much different for Pepperdine in their opener.
The Waves enter today’s contest on the heels of a tough 7-0 loss to Sacramento State in their season opener. During that match, the Waves’ No. 1 singles player, Anamika Bhargava, suffered an injury in doubles play that prevented her from participating in singles competition.
Despite a promising start to their season, the Bruins expect a tougher challenge against Pepperdine. Regardless of whether or not the Waves’ best player competes, UCLA fully intends to carry the same competitive energy and focused intensity that they displayed in their first match.
“Being defending champions, we’ve got to definitely take pride in that,” coach Stella Sampras Webster said. “We need to understand that teams are going to come out and play their best against us and we have to be ready for that and be able to handle that type of pressure.”
Sampras Webster and the rest of the Bruins’ coaching staff are aware of the high expectations placed on the team this year. Consequently, the staff has made it a top priority to instill the same determined mentality that earned the Bruins the NCAA title last season into their young team this season.
According to Sampras Webster, in order for the team to carry on the success of last year, the primary goal for this season is actually easier said than done.
“Staying healthy is such a huge goal for us,” Sampras Webster said. “We’ve got such a talented team and a young team and we’ve always had inconsistent seasons due to injured players. Especially now that every team is so strong, keeping everyone healthy is so important.”
As the Bruins make their way to Malibu, their eyes are fixed on building off of the season-opening win and maintaining a healthy roster.