At this time last season, UCLA women’s tennis posted a strong record of 3-1, eventually making it all the way to the NCAA Tournament before falling to Ohio State.
This year, UCLA sits at 4-1.
The Bruins take on San Diego (2-2) on Sunday, and coach Stella Sampras Webster said the tough mindset of her team will help lead it toward success.
“It’s just a mentality that elite athletes have, and these girls know, at least the returners, what a long journey this is,” Sampras Webster said. “They’ve got to be able to prepare and take care of themselves, and it’s a very individual sport in that respect. They have to do things with their tennis and their fitness to maintain this high level.”
Sophomore Gabby Andrews, who clinched last weekend’s Saint Mary’s match for the Bruins with a singles win, said matches in the season thus far have left the team with a positive mindset going into this weekend against San Diego.
“I think we gained a lot of confidence,” Andrews said. “Just knowing that, endurance-wise, we could play through tough conditions. I think we should have no problem transferring that confidence over into this weekend.”
Finding court time to prepare for this weekend’s match was difficult with weather setbacks and academic obligations. Despite these adversities, Andrews said, the team has been working hard and should come out strong this weekend.
For junior Terri Fleming, good practices and preparation going forward are key for the team’s confidence and success. She said if the team continues to maintain this, it has high potential.
“It’s still early in the season, but I would say already it’s a lot better than last year in terms of team dynamic,” Fleming said. “Our work ethic and commitment is a lot better, so I’m excited.”
The Torero duo of Colomba DiFilippo and Daniela Morales will be a test for the Bruins, as they have won four of their last five doubles matches. DiFilippo, the only upperclassman for San Diego, is also a threat in singles, having won her past four matches.
The young San Diego team is similar to UCLA, which only features two upperclassmen in its lineup. Despite the Bruins’ youth, Sampras Webster believes they continue to put forth a strong effort.
“Being so young, I see some of them having to step up,” Sampras Webster said. “We’ve got three new players playing in our top six, so they’ve had to step up, as they know that we need every one of them to play every match. It’s neat to see them grow and be challenged.”
Although it is still early in the season, there has been exponential progress, according to the coach and players. They are becoming closer with each other and the group is more comfortable in matches.
“For the very first match we had, we were kind of tense and uptight,” Andrews said. “But as the matches have been going on, we’ve relaxed and we trust each other. I think if we keep that up, we will progressively get better, and it will definitely show in our matches.”
With a small team, the Bruins feed off each other’s energy to keep their attitudes up throughout the match. Seeing her team motivate each other, Sampras Webster said, is great to watch.
Playing any match is an experience that UCLA believes helps it learn and prepare going forward.
“We know what it’s like to be in a tense, pressure-filled situation against big teams (like Georgia Tech),” Fleming said. “I think if we use that experience moving forward, we’ll be ready to go.”