It had been years since Giancarlo Cava stepped on a tennis court as nervous as he was that day in the summer of 2014. He wasn’t naive. He knew if his session with then-UCLA senior Robin Anderson didn’t go well, he wouldn’t be given the job. He was worried. His tennis skills weren’t refined and […]
Author Archives: Kyle Cardoza
Underclassmen play key role in women’s tennis’ comeback win over USC
Coach Stella Sampras Webster said it was time for the lowerclassmen to step up. Sophomore Terri Fleming did just that. UCLA women’s tennis was leading in its rivalry match with USC, but it was far from a comfortable situation. Up 3-2, there were still two matches left, both going into deciding third sets. Sophomore Kristin […]
UCLA women’s tennis seeks season turnaround with Trojan takedown
The UCLA women’s tennis team was on a bad path before Saturday. It missed out on the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoors two weeks ago after losing in the second round of ITA Kick-Off Weekend. They were routed 6-1 by No. 15 Pepperdine on Feb. 18. And after starting out No. 4 they dropped 25 […]
UCLA women’s tennis beaten but bolstered in match against No. 1 Cal
The momentum of the match was on the verge of shifting as sophomore Terri Fleming served for match point. A strong serve followed by an effective backhand slice caused Cal’s Olivia Hauger to hit an unnecessary lob shot, setting Fleming up for the easy smash and a victory on court five. UCLA was now back […]
No. 15 Pepperdine pulls No. 22 women’s tennis under 6-1
If there was one match that UCLA women’s tennis coach Stella Sampras Webster wanted the underclassmen to focus on Thursday afternoon, it was on court one. Senior Catherine Harrison and Pepperdine’s Luisa Stefani were locked in a heated battle in the tiebreaker of the second set. Neither of the two top-20 ranked singles players would […]
Women’s tennis boosts schedule with back-to-back weekend matches
It was the third and final set of the deciding match, and the score was 5-2 in favor of Fresno State’s Galina Bykova. But freshman Alaina Miller hadn’t given up. Miller rallied to force an eighth game and was just two points shy of forcing a ninth, but her next two serves wouldn’t clear the […]
Women’s tennis ace Catherine Harrison passes down two-handed legacy
As soon as she learned to walk, Catherine Harrison was on the tennis court rallying against her parents. She was too small, though, to swing the racket with one hand, so instead she used two. Now a UCLA senior and the No. 18 singles player in the nation, Harrison continues to swing her forehand using […]