Monday, 5/19/97 Longhorns trample UCLA in quarterfinals W.
TENNIS: Injuries to key players, time off prevent team from playing
solidly
By Christie DeBeau Daily Bruin Contributor Friday was a
disappointing day for the UCLA women’s tennis team. Losing is
always hard, but the Bruins’ 5-2 loss to No. 6 Texas in the
quarterfinals of the NCAA national championships was especially
difficult. UCLA (16-6) played well throughout the season – it was
seeded No. 4 in the tournament and finished No. 3 in the ITA
national rankings. However, when the national championships came,
the Bruins were unable to live up to their rankings. "I am pleased
with how well we did throughout the season," UCLA head coach Stella
Sampras said. "It is always disappointing to lose, but it was
really hard to take a loss like this." UCLA’s first-round match
against No. 13 Tennessee foreshadowed the level of play that would
eventually lead to the team’s downfall. Although the Bruins
defeated the Volunteers 5-0, they were not playing their best
tennis. The team had just returned from a three-week layoff and had
suffered from injuries to a couple of the top players. "We had a
few injuries at the end of the season and were not in the best of
shape," Sampras said. "We just did not play as well as we have."
Junior Kelly Rudolph (at No. 4) and sophomore Brandi Freudenberg
(at No. 6) were the sole Bruins to emerge victorious on Friday.
Rudolph defeated Michelle Fauchner, 6-2, 7-5, while Freudenberg’s
7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory over Anne Poster enabled the match to be
extended to doubles play. Down 4-2 after singles competition, UCLA
would have to sweep the doubles competition in order to advance to
the semifinals. However, all hope for a Bruin comeback was silenced
when Freudenberg and Rudolph were defeated by Texas’ No. 3 doubles
team, 8-2. Sophomore Kati Kocsis, UCLA’s No. 1 player, lost a tough
6-4, 4-6, 6-2 match to her counterpart from Texas, Christina Moros.
"Kati played her best tennis, as far as her attitude and
composure," Sampras said. "She really gave it her all." Although
UCLA put a lot of effort into the match, this was the first year
for many of the members playing college tennis and their first time
experiencing the pressure of the championships. "I am proud of
everyone," coach Sampras said. "This was the first time for many of
the girls to play at the national championships and they fought
hard. I have to give Texas credit. They played really well and won
the big points and that is what you need to do to win. "We have a
great group of players and a lot that we can build on. Next time we
will know better what to do." * * * In a rematch of the 1996
championship match, Stanford ended Florida’s 62-match winning
streak with a 5-1 victory. * * * Four Bruins will participate in
the singles tournament beginning today. In first-round matches,
Katie Kocsis will face Maria Pavlidou of Arizona State, Annica
Cooper will play Kim Schiff of Vanderbilt, Elizabeth Schmidt will
play Scott, and Katia Roubanova will battle Olga Novikova of Penn
State. UCLA Sports Info Kelly Rudolph Previous Daily Bruin stories:
UCLA sends Volunteers home, May 16, 1997