The undefeated No. 1 women’s tennis team to open up Pac-12 play against Washington State
Freshman Skylar Morton and the undefeated No. 1 UCLA women’s tennis team will face off against Washington State today at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.
Washington State
Today, 1:30 p.m.
Los Angeles Tennis Center
No TV info
Info: UCLA looks to continue its undefeated season today against Washington State.
By Susana Vasquez
March 9, 2012 12:43 a.m.
The key to the successful season the women’s tennis team is having has a name: team effort. Although the players stand out individually, teamwork is what has led them to have an undefeated season.
But for freshman Skylar Morton, practice has also been a crucial component of the team’s success.
“What we work in practice and how hard we work in practice reflects how we play and I think everyone has been practicing pretty well so it’s showing in the court,” Morton said.
“I think that we’ve been playing good. We have come together as a team and we’ve been working hard and it’s been shown and hopefully we can keep it up.”
The team will have the opportunity to improve to 13-0 as they square off against Washington State in the opening match of Pac-12 play today.
Coach Stella Sampras Webster is cognizant that even though the Cougars are not ranked they still need to be taken seriously, and the Bruins will come out and play their best against them.
“I think it’s just a match that we are going to prepare like we would any other match. We’re working on improving, improving our doubles and our singles,” Sampras Webster said.
“The challenge is going to be to get the same kind of energy that they would against ‘SC because that is when they really play their best tennis and that is what I’m going to expect from them … to come out with a lot of energy and know that they (have) to use any match that we play, including Washington State, to improve and get better.”
The team’s energy and confidence amplified after they beat crosstown rival USC 4-3 in a thrilling match that helped UCLA keep its No. 1 rank.
Senior and team captain McCall Jones believes that UCLA’s momentum impels any team to play well and that the Bruins need to continue to execute and play at a high level.
“We do not want to take anybody lightly because we are UCLA and everybody is going to play their best against us. We have to expect everyone to play really well and to perform their best and challenge us,” Jones said.
Although she lost her previous two encounters against Cal and USC, Jones is confident of her potential and hopes to improve her game as the season continues.
“Singles I think right now is just a work in progress, and I just feel I’m just trying to progress in the right way so when it comes to NCAA I am playing my best tennis.”
The academic quarter is almost over, but the tennis season is halfway through, and for Sampras Webster this means working harder to keep the team going.
“It’s coming down to the middle of our season and making sure our players stay motivated and hungry and that’s the biggest thing. Finals is coming up, players are getting a little sick, a little tired so we are just trying to keep them in the same track; keep them motivated, keep the practices with high energy so that we can perform well against Washington State,” she said.
