Last season, a roster boasting seven freshmen created a sense of
promise, albeit uncertainty, for the UCLA women’s tennis
team. One year later, both potential and uncertainty may be even
greater.
The Bruins knew they would have to compensate for the loss of
four-time All-American Sara Walker. However, the loss of Susi Wild,
who quit tennis and returned to her native Germany after a
promising freshman season, has now left two major holes in the
Bruin lineup.
“It’s disappointing, but we’ve got to
rebuild,” said head coach Stella Sampras Webster of
Wild’s departure. “These things happen in every sport
and we just have to move on.”
Last season, the Bruins also lost one of their standout players
when Megan Bradley transferred to Miami. However, Jackie Carleton
stepped in as a dependable No. 2 player, going 13-7 in dual
matches, with four of those wins coming at the No. 1 position when
Walker was injured. Now a sophomore, Carleton will look to become a
fixture at the top spot.
“It’s exciting, but my attitude toward every match
is still the same,” Carleton said, adding that she has not
felt increased pressure as the top player.
Aside from Carleton, the rest of the Bruin lineup is still up in
the air. Sophomore Feriel Esseghir and junior Lauren Fisher are
both coming off injuries that sidelined them for almost all of last
season.
“There’s a lot of question marks,” Sampras
Webster said. “We don’t know how Feriel and Lauren will
respond.”
Esseghir, who is still recovering from a foot injury she
suffered before the beginning of the 2002-2003 season, did return
at the end of last season, going 4-4 in dual matches. She
contributed a decisive win in the No. 4 spot in UCLA’s 4-3
win over Washington in the NCAA Championships, enabling the Bruins
to reach the quarterfinals for the third time in the last four
years.
“I’m really looking forward to playing a full
season,” Esseghir said. “Last year, I was so excited
before getting injured. This is a second chance for me.”
The arrival of freshmen Daniela Bercek and Alex McGoodwin, along
with a healthy Esseghir and Fisher, may leave some of last
year’s starters on the bench. Sarah Gregg, Laura Gordon and
Anya Loncaric were all fixtures in the bottom half of UCLA’s
lineup last year. With a healthy team, these players will need to
work much harder to earn their spots this season. Factor in
sophomore Shilpa Joshi and redshirt freshman Nina Yaftali, both of
whom had successful fall seasons, and there are a total of 10
players vying for six singles spots.
“We haven’t had this kind of depth before,”
Sampras Webster said
The depth is perhaps most beneficial and evident at practice.
With more talented players looking to secure the limited playing
spots in practice, players have noticed a difference from last
year. “The level of team practice has gone up,”
Carleton said. “It’s a good type of competition out
there.”
“If you love to compete you’ll do better, and if
you’re afraid you’ll struggle,” Sampras Webster
said.
In spite of the Bruins’ depth, they may still be a year
away from competing for the Pac-10 and national championships.
Although ranked at No. 11, No. 2 Stanford, No. 3 Cal, No. 6 USC,
and No. 7 Washington are all picked to finish above them in the
Pac-10. Last year’s team won only one of eight matches
against those teams. With no seniors and only two players who
posted winning records last year returning, it will not be too
surprising if the team struggles through the early part of Pac-10
play.
However, encouraging results at the Pac-10 Indoors this past
weekend indicate the Bruins are ready to take on the elite in their
conference. Bercek’s three-set win over top-seeded Raquel
Kops-Jones of Cal en route to the Flight I final, and
Esseghir’s victory over Fisher in the Flight III final are
optimistic signs for a team enjoying the start of a season at full
strength for the first time in a while.
“Their bodies seem to be holding up, and hopefully
they’ll stay healthy,” Sampras Webster said of Esseghir
and Fisher.
Whether Bercek can continue her high level of play and how long
it will take for the Bruins to find a solid doubles lineup will
determine the extent of any struggles.
It is going to be a wait-and-see type season for the Bruins. If
Esseghir and Fisher stay healthy and play up to their potential,
and if the added depth improves the bottom half of the lineup, the
team believes they can compete for the Pac-10 and national
championship.
If not, the Bruins can only hope to avoid the off-season
transfers and try again with the same cast in 2005.