Bruins overcome humid weather to defeat Clemson
4-0 ATHENS, Ga. “”mdash; After two straight months of
matches in the sunshine state, there were questions about how the
UCLA women’s tennis team would handle Athens’ humid
conditions. It didn’t take them long to answer. Despite
playing two teams in Miami and Clemson that were far more familiar
with Georgia’s muggy weather, the Bruins looked like the
local team on the court, eliminating both schools on consecutive
days. Although they could not simulate the actual weather, the
Bruins still prepared themselves for its aftereffects and made sure
their bodies didn’t break down. “We’re putting
ice bags on all of them after they play and making sure
they’re hydrated,” coach Stella Sampras Webster said.
“We’ve been pushing that on them, and they’re
buying into it.”
A BIG BANG: The humid conditions were not the
only element the Bruins had to contend with. When a thunderstorm
suspended play midway through the semifinal match against Clemson,
the teams had to finish off the match on the adjacent indoor
courts. Despite not having played a match on the surface since the
National Indoor Tournament three months ago, the Bruins once again
looked like the more comfortable team. Daniela Bercek, Feriel
Esseghir and Lauren Fisher did not drop a game after moving to the
indoor courts, as the Bruins to swept the Tigers 4-0. “I love
playing indoors,” Bercek said.
FAR FROM HOME: Aside from dealing with
different weather and court conditions, the tournament also
provided a new spectator atmosphere for the Bruins. Although
Clemson had decisively more crowd support than the Bruins in their
semifinal match, it did not translate to much success. Bruin
players were hardly fazed by the roars that erupted after almost
every time Clemson won a key point. “Just to hear people
screaming gets me going,” Sarah Gregg said. “It
doesn’t matter who it’s for.”
DRAMA IN DOUBLES: Four to nothing victories
featuring dramatic comebacks seem counterintuitive, but the
Bruins’ shutout over the Tigers did have its tense moments
early on. Jackie Carleton and Feriel Esseghir trailed on Court 2,
7-3, but rallied back to 7-7 before dropping the last two games.
Although their comeback fell just short, Laura Gordon and
Gregg’s was complete. Falling behind 5-1 early on, the pair
won seven of the next eight games to close out the match. “A
lot of the games were tight, but we were losing at deuce,”
Gregg said.
INDIVIDUAL TOURNAMENT: Instead of taking time
off and relaxing after the strenuous week, four Bruins will be back
on the courts playing in the NCAA individual tournaments that kick
off today. Jackie Carleton and Bercek earned at-large bids for the
singles draw. Carleton will take on No. 44 Jessica Rush from
Northwestern in a first-round match today and will not have to meet
a top-eight seed until the Round of 16 if she gets there. Bercek,
who did not drop a match at the No. 1 spot against some of the top
players in the country during the team tournament, has a much
tougher draw. She faces second-seeded Anda Perianu of Oklahoma.
Fatigue could be a factor throughout the tournament for all the
players, but especially for Bercek, who is facing a player whose
team did not make it to Athens for the team tournament.
“I’m pretty tired right now,” Bercek said.
“But tomorrow’s a new day.” Bercek will also pair
with Fisher in the doubles draw and will face Alabama’s
Ashley Bentley and Robin Stephenson in a first-round match.
Carleton and Esseghir will face eighth-seeded Claire Carter and Dea
Sumantri of Washington.