Straight off of a confidence-building shutout against Fresno
State, the No. 11 UCLA women’s tennis team looks to start its
Pac-10 season on a strong note when it hosts the Arizona schools
today and Saturday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.
Although the Bruins (5-2) are hoping for victories against No.
40 Arizona State (1-1) today and No. 47 Arizona (5-2) on Saturday,
neither of this weekend’s matches will count toward the
Pac-10 standings.
“Each match you win builds your confidence,”
sophomore Daniela Bercek said.
“More victories against easier opponents will give us the
confidence we need against stronger teams like Berkeley and
Stanford,” she added.
UCLA coach Stella Sampras Webster will use Bercek, the
Bruins’ No. 1 singles player, sparingly in order to allow her
to rest the shoulder she recently injured at the ITA National
Women’s Team Indoor Championships. While Bercek will still
play alongside freshman Riza Zalameda in doubles, she will have to
watch the singles’ competition from the sideline.
“Even without Bercek, we are confident we can pull it
out,” said Zalameda, who will be filling in for Bercek at the
No. 1 spot. “Arizona State has a solid team and good depth,
but we have proven we can win without her.”
Even with the absence of Bercek, the Bruins managed to earn
their second shutout of the season last weekend in a performance
that saw many UCLA players step up.
Zalameda has only dropped one match (6-1) this season, while
freshman Elizabeth Lumpkin and junior Laura Gordon each have yet to
lose in singles dual-match play, posting six and five wins
respectively.
Once again, the Bruins will need to elevate their game to the
next level because each player will have to play up a spot and out
of position.
Yet, despite Bercek’s absence in singles competition, and
the Bruins’ recent success of claiming the doubles point in
six of their last seven matches, the biggest challenge may be
overcoming the Sun Devils’ solid doubles lineup.
“Their No. 3 doubles lineup is almost as good as their No.
1 and 2,” said Zalameda, who paired up last week with
freshman Alex McGoodwin and posted a win. “We just need to
stay focused no matter if we get down.”
For now, the Bruins have expressed the need to focus mainly on
taking on one opponent at a time. But, after the momentum-gaining
shutout performance against Fresno State last weekend, UCLA is
looking to establish itself as a dominant presence when conference
play does roll around.
“We’re really going to battle out there,”
Zalameda said. “We want UCLA to be known as
fighters.”