UCLA women’s tennis adds Pac-12 wins as playoffs near

The members of UCLA’s No. 2 women’s tennis team stood out on court five of the Los Angeles Tennis Center Saturday, exchanging high fives as they cheered for their teammate, senior Courtney Dolehide, as she finished the last match of the weekend against the No. 19 Arizona State Sun Devils.

It was Dolehide’s first singles match since March 21, when she defeated Washington in a tiebreaker 10-4. Saturday, after losing her first set 5-7 and coming back to win the second 6-3, Dolehide was ready to show that her singles game could be just as strong as her doubles. She fought hard in the last set, winning 10-4 in a tiebreaker, just as she did back in March against Washington, bringing the team’s final score to 7-0 to defeat Arizona State.

“In the first set I had some set points, and I let them go away, so it’s easy sometimes to just blow the second set,” Dolehide said. “I was proud of myself for staying in it, battling through a little bit of adversity, getting my game back towards the middle of the second set and playing really well towards the end.”

The weekend proved strong for the Bruins all around, with a 7-0 shutout against No. 25 Arizona Wildcats on Friday, also at home. The Bruins, who didn’t lose a single match all weekend, are preparing for the Pac-12 Championships in Ojai later this month and feel the weekend of wins gives the players the confidence they need heading into the championships.

“I think it was a good team win,” said junior Kaitlin Ray. “At this point in the season we just want to keep building, and obviously our ultimate goal is the national championship. I think we did a really good job of staying focused and executing some things that are going to help us these next few weeks.”

This Sunday marked the 20th win for the Bruins for the fifth season in a row, and they defended their perfect record of never losing a doubles point. However, this late in the season, the players must worry about not only tough opponents, but also maintaining their health and not getting worn down, especially after playing four matches the past two weekends.

“The season is long, and some players may be tired and may be struggling,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster. “It’s just always reminding them that this is a team, and we need everyone to do their best to make sure they get their rest, that they prepare and that they take time off so that come practice and matches, they can give their full energy to whatever they’re doing.”

Now, the Bruins look forward to facing off against the USC Women of Troy at home this Friday in what will be their last match before the Pac-12 Championships. This will be the first time the Bruins meet the Trojans since the 5-2 Bruin win at the USC Marks Stadium on March 7.

“At this point in the season everyone is hurting, but it’s just being there for your teammates and sacrificing,” Ray said. “It comes down to who wants it most.”