Picking up momentum at the end of the season has been a staple
of the No. 11 UCLA women’s tennis team over the past couple
years. So have struggles against perennial superpower Stanford.
With four matches remaining, the Bruins (12-4, 5-1 Pac-10) will
ride a six-match win streak into this weekend, when they will face
No. 20 Cal and top-ranked Stanford on Friday and Saturday,
respectively.
“We usually play better toward the end of the
season,” sophomore Daniela Bercek said. “Everyone is
playing great.”
The surge in the Bruins’ play recently has stemmed from
arguably the most disappointing moment of the season, a 4-3 loss to
crosstown rival USC last month. Since that loss, the Bruins have
yielded no more than two points in any match during their win
streak.
“We didn’t expect to lose,” Bercek said of the
USC match. “You never want to lose to ‘SC. We got a lot
from that match, and it motivated us.”
The motivation has in turn led to confidence, something players
have said has been key during the team’s win streak. How that
confidence holds up when the Bruins face an undefeated Cardinal
team could go a long way in determining the remainder of the
season. No player on the Bruin roster has been part of a Bruin
victory over Stanford (17-0, 4-0), which speaks to the range of
talent the Cardinal continually boasts.
“Each of their players could probably play No. 1 for a lot
of teams,” said freshman Tracy Lin, who has not dropped a
match during the Bruins’ recent streak. “They are a
really deep team.”
Having dropped the first meeting between the two teams 6-1, the
Bruins have said they have nothing to lose in the rematch. The
doubles point was the lone point the Bruins were able to secure in
that match and it is one they are intent on capturing again.
“We’re going to focus on making sure we win
doubles,” said freshman Riza Zalameda, who along with partner
Daniela Bercek, has achieved a No. 2 doubles team ranking.
“That has always been our strong point.”
Even if the Bruins do not topple the Cardinal, UCLA can have
some success this weekend by taking down the No. 20 Bears (12-5,
2-3 Pac-10), who UCLA defeated 6-1 in February. Nevertheless, the
Bruins insist they are not taking a win for granted.
“Cal is a solid team,” Bercek said. “Their top
two spots are going to be hard.”