Two down, one to go.
Four teams from Southern California earned bids to the NCAA
Tournament, and, on consecutive days, the UCLA women’s tennis
team eliminated two of them. And the one other still standing
““ USC ““ is next on the Bruins’ plate.
After plowing through Long Beach State 4-0 in the first round
Friday, UCLA marched one match closer to a seemingly destined
meeting with USC in the Round of 16.
But Pepperdine wanted to be more than just a stepping stone on
the Bruins’ mission. Giving UCLA all they could handle in the
second round, the Waves jumped out to an early lead, grabbing the
doubles point and taking three first sets in the singles before
finally succumbing 4-2.
“This was a wake-up call for our team,” coach Stella
Sampras Webster said. “We could have lost and our season
could be over.”
With the possibility of losing beginning to emerge midway
through the singles matches, two Bruin players staged impressive
comebacks to put that fear to rest.
Freshman Daniela Bercek clawed back from a 6-3 deficit at the
top spot against Natalie Braverman, rebounding in the second set
6-0. She was up 4-3 in her third set, but play was suspended when
Lauren Fisher completed her own recovery act.
Fisher similarly overcame a 6-3 setback at the No. 5 spot to
Merve Asimgil, storming back in the next two sets 6-3, 6-2 to
clinch the victory for the Bruins.
“I didn’t change my game, but I started
executing,” Fisher said. “I was able to put the
pressure on (my opponent).”
Although the tide shifted toward the end of match, the pressure
was squarely on the Bruins before the singles started.
Charlotte Vernaz and Caroline Raba’s 9-7 win over Bercek
and Fisher on Court 1 secured the doubles point for the Waves, a
point the Bruins had captured in the teams’ two previous
meetings this season.
“They had nothing to lose and everything to gain,”
Sampras Webster said. “We can never take anything for
granted.”
Laura Gordon’s 6-0, 6-3 win on Court 6 over Eva Dickes,
followed by Sarah Gregg’s 6-1, 6-2 win at the No. 4 spot
against Karin Schlapbach, stopped the Waves’ momentum from
the doubles and counteracted a sluggish start on the top
courts.
“If I have a bad doubles match, I forget I ever played
it,” Gordon said. “In singles, I control my own fate.
It’s just me out there.”
Even with Gordon and Gregg’s quick straight-setters, the
Bruins needed two wins from the four remaining matches in order to
advance.
Feriel Esseghir gave the Bruins their third point with a 6-4,
6-3 win over Vernaz on Court 3, and although Jackie Carleton fell
6-4, 6-2 to Caroline Raba at the No. 2 spot, both Bercek and Fisher
were already ahead in their third sets.
“I knew that even if I didn’t win, someone on my
team would,” Fisher said.
Whether Bercek would have closed out her match is unknown, but
Sampras Webster was nevertheless pleased with the freshman’s
performance.
“It was nice to see Nina handle the pressure and play with
such passion and heart,” Sampras Webster said. “To see
that maturity in a freshman is great.”
It had been three weeks since the Bruins last played a match
under the type of pressure they faced Saturday. Long Beach offered
very little resistance a day earlier, failing to take a single set
and leaving the Bruins far more unchallenged than their
counterparts.
The Waves survived against a more highly touted team, No. 18
BYU, in their first round and were primed for defeating a top-25
opponent for the second consecutive day.
“It’s better to have solid matches than
walkovers,” Fisher said.
Just as the Waves may have benefited from a challenge heading
into their match against the Bruins, UCLA likewise hopes
it’ll have that same advantage when it faces USC on
Thursday.
They just hope the end result is different.