Women’s tennis looks to continue pattern of winning away games
Freshman Ena Shibahara said she’s still getting used to playing in front of away crowds. So far this season, only two of UCLA women’s tennis’ six dual matches have taken place in Westwood. (Dayoung Lee/Daily Bruin)
By TuAnh Dam
Feb. 13, 2017 9:54 p.m.
Practice and play at home don’t compare to those grind-it-out road wins for UCLA women’s tennis.
The No. 20 Bruins (5-1) downed the San Diego Toreros (2-4) on the road for their third win away from Westwood this year.
[Related: Women’s tennis feels momentum rising as it beats San Diego]
Last year, coach Stella Sampras Webster’s team went 4-3 on the road en route to a second-round finish in the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA’s lone loss this season came against then-No. 11 Georgia Tech in Atlanta during the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Kick-Off Weekend, a 4-2 decision that narrowly went in favor of the Yellow Jackets.
But UCLA was able to bounce back with wins against Saint Mary’s and UC Santa Barbara at home before traveling down to San Diego over the weekend to take on the University of San Diego.
[Related: Women’s tennis draws from Georgia Tech upset, pulls off weekend wins]
Despite redshirt freshman Jada Hart retiring down 3-0 during her singles match, the Bruins focused on their matches and pulled away from the Toreros down the stretch, coming up with three straight set wins.
Sophomore Alaina Miller, who won her match in three sets, credited the time spent on the road and the continual team support for building the Bruins’ mental game in time for Pac-12 play.
“I think we’re really strong mentally this year,” Miller said. “We can support each other through the whole thing so I think it makes it super easy.”
The support extends to helping freshmen like Hart and Ena Shibahara transition to the collegiate ranks.
Hart and Shibahara have combined for just two singles losses in dual-match play this year – Hart’s retirement Sunday against USD and a 6-4, 4-6, 6-7 loss in late January against Loyola Marymount.
But even with her successes thus far, Shibahara is still looking to adjust before the Bruins’ next stretch of road games – with three of their next four matches away from home.
UCLA will take on No. 3 Pepperdine at Sunset Canyon Recreation Center’s tennis courts on Friday, following which it will face three more teams, two of them ranked – No. 22 USC, Baylor and No. 8 Cal – in front of hostile environments and crowds cheering against them.
“I’m still kind of learning how to play at away matches,” Shibahara said. “At away matches, we’ll have a lot of fans going against us, but I try not to let that get to me. It’s still a learning process but I’m getting the hang of it.”
