Women’s tennis fails to qualify for ITA National Team Indoors
Sophomore Alaina Miller and her partner junior Terri Fleming helped No. 24 UCLA women’s tennis capture the doubles point against No. 20 Kentucky, but they were unable to do so against No. 11 Georgia Tech. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Hanson Wang
Jan. 29, 2017 10:50 p.m.
UCLA women’s tennis found itself in two tiebreakers, in doubles, against Georgia Tech.
Win one, and the Bruins would capture the doubles point and take the opening lead.
That didn’t happen.
For the second year in a row, No. 24 UCLA (2-1) lost the doubles point and failed to qualify for the National Team Indoors Championships after falling 4-2 to No. 11 Georgia Tech (4-0) Sunday in Atlanta.
In singles play, the Yellow Jackets captured four of the six opening sets, forcing the Bruins to win at least a couple of three-set matches. Redshirt freshman Jada Hart – the only player to win both her singles matches this weekend – did her part, defeating Georgia Tech’s freshman Kenya Jones 0-6, 6-1, 6-3. Junior Terri Fleming added another point with a straight-sets victory at court two.
The last two singles points came down to freshman Ena Shibahara on the top court and sophomore Gabby Andrews on the No. 5 court.
Shibahara was a game away from completing her comeback against No. 12-ranked Rasheeda McAdoo, but Andrews wasn’t as fortunate. In her third set, the transfer couldn’t break her opponent, Nadia Gizdova, eventually losing 6-3.
The start to the weekend was promising after the Bruins swept the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats 4-0 in the first round of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Kickoff Weekend. The ninth-ranked duo of Shibahara and Hart knocked off the top-ranked team of Aldila Sutjiadi and Mami Adachi. Shibahara and Hart continued their strong play into singles, as both won against Kentucky in straight sets.
UCLA’s other singles win came courtesy of junior Kristin Wiley at court six, where she defeated Morgan Chumney 6-4, 6-0.
