For the first time since February 2017, the Bruins failed to secure a point in a match.
No. 6 UCLA women’s tennis (9-3, 2-0 Pac-12) were swept by No. 20 Pepperdine (6-3) at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center as coach Stella Sampras Webster experimented with new doubles combinations.
The three Bruin doubles duos in the lineup had played only two combined matches this season prior to today’s match.
The tandem of senior Ayan Broomfield and redshirt junior Jada Hart won 6-2 on doubles court one; it was the only time the duo had played together all season. It was the only UCLA victory of the afternoon.
For the fifth time in its last seven matches, UCLA dropped the doubles point.
Two of the three ranked Pepperdine players – No. 13 Evgeniya Levashova and No. 61 Jessica Failla – were not part of the Waves’ singles lineup.
The Bruins struggled to gain any momentum as the Waves won five of the first six sets in singles. Across the six singles courts, UCLA managed to win just three sets.
In the only ranked matchup of the day, No. 64 Hart was outclassed 6-3, 6-4 by No. 56 Ashley Lahey.
The encounter was clinched on the second singles court as No. 10 freshman Elysia Bolton lost 6-4, 7-5 to Pepperdine’s Adrijana Lekaj.
The Bruins will next face Oregon (6-7, 0-2) at the Oregon Student Tennis Center on March 24.