When the UCLA women’s tennis team takes the stage against USC at the Marks Tennis Stadium this afternoon, it will be gunning for its sixth-straight victory over its crosstown nemesis.
The No. 10 Bruins (17-5, 5-2 Pac-10) head into the final match of the regular season looking to avoid falling to the No. 9 Women of Troy (19-2, 7-0) for the first time since March 8, 2007. Bragging rights and momentum going into the postseason are about the only things on the line in this matchup. USC has already clinched at least a share of the Pac-10 title, and UCLA is out of the running.
“It’d be great to finish our season with a win against our rivals,” UCLA coach Stella Sampras Webster said. “That’s what really helped us last year, beating ‘SC going into the tournament. It adds a level of confidence to your players and team that definitely helps.”
The Women of Troy will look to avenge their 4-3 loss at the hands of the Bruins back on March 5, along with the four that preceded it.
The match, which did not count toward either team’s conference record due to scheduling considerations, was nothing less than thrilling. The two sides traded leads, and the deciding two singles matches were down to the wire.
Freshman Carling Seguso leveled the contest at 3-3 by defeating USC sophomore Leyla Entekhabi 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 at the No. 6 position, and senior Ashley Joelson wrapped up the match for the Bruins by downing freshman Alison Ramos 4-6, 7-6(7-5), 6-4 on court No. 5.
Interestingly enough, Joelson also clinched the 4-3 victory for UCLA against the Trojans to kick off the streak as a sophomore in 2007 when she topped then-senior Dianne Matias 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(7-2).
Sampras Webster acknowledges that it will not be easy for the Bruins to walk out of Marks Stadium with a win. Of the five-straight victories over USC, only two have been on Trojan turf.
“I know that ‘SC is going to bring out everything with their band and with their fans,” Sampras Webster said. “There’s going to be a lot into this match. We’re trying to prepare our team and prepare our freshmen for what to expect at ‘SC. It’ll be a good test for our young ones to see how they respond to the pressure of playing against a crowd and not playing at home.”