UCLA continued its streak of dominant play this season as the Bruins downed the Loyola Marymount Lions 7-0 Thursday in a one-sided match.
From the beginning of play, the Bruins benefitted from superior performances from their doubles players, winning on all three courts.
“I’m very pleased with the way our team is preparing for matches and coming out and really doing a great job in doubles, and even in singles,” coach Stella Sampras Webster said.
UCLA had an early 3-0 lead thanks to wins by junior Pamela Montez and freshman Kaitlin Ray.
Ray continued to show her dominance on the court by blanking her opponent 6-0 in the first set and 6-2 in the second.
“I think my goal every day is just to get a little bit better and the coaches do a really great job preparing me. We go over goals together and it is all about going out and executing a game plan,” Ray said.
After her match, Ray stayed on the court to cheer on fellow freshman Chanelle Van Nguyen, who also beat her opponent in straight sets, albeit in a different fashion than usual.
“Today my opponent had a different game style than what I am used to and so it was a bit tough to beat her. I did not feel like I played my best, but I tried my best,” Van Nguyen said.
Next to Van Nguyen, sophomore Morgan Thomas played her first singles match as a Bruin with a victory over Ana Lucia Fuentes 6-3, 6-1.
“It was really nerve-racking at first because I had all these fans watching me and then I started getting a little bit more comfortable on the court, started focusing on points, each point (at a time) and I felt more comfortable and it became really fun,” Thomas said.
Ray and UCLA look to carry their momentum into their next match against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
“We’re definitely (going to) need to come out with the same intensity and focus (against Cal Poly). It should be a good match. It is going to be another opportunity to play a match before going to Indoors so we are all excited for it,” Ray said.
Although Cal Poly is not on the same level as the opponents the Bruins will be facing next week at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, Sampras Webster believes it is a good opportunity for the players to gain confidence and continue to grow.
“I think that is why we decided to (move the match against Cal Poly) ““ to get another match under our belt (and) see some serious players compete because the more they compete the more we get to know them. I think we are getting better after each match, so it’s good to get another match in,” Sampras Webster said.
A win against Cal Poly would give the Bruins the confidence going into the tournament that they can contend against the top teams in the country and win the title for the first time.
“Next week is going to be a whole (different) level. It’s going to be a good test for us, so we are excited, very excited to see where we stand within the national teams,” Sampras Webster said.