Women’s tennis prepares for USC matchup
By Alyssa Tjajadi
March 3, 2009 10:18 p.m.
The No. 11 UCLA women’s tennis team will host its crosstown rival, the No. 10 USC Trojans, in a highly anticipated match this afternoon at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.
Since the preseason, the Bruins have had this match marked on the calendar as one of the team’s most anticipated matches for the season.
UCLA players and coaches have put in hard work practicing and conditioning in preparation for the Trojans’ visit.
“One of our main goals for this season is to beat USC,” coach Stella Sampras Webster said back at the start of the season. “We want to beat them both times.”
The Bruins are entering the contest coming off their 10th victory of the season, which came against Cal State Fullerton on Saturday.
UCLA easily defeated the Titans with a score of 7-0 and won in straight sets on all six singles courts. Yet despite their impressive play of late, the Bruins expect to face a tough challenge from the USC’s squad.
“This is going to be a test for us,” Sampras Webster said. “But I think it will also allow us to find out where this team is at. It’s going to be an exciting match because everyone’s looking forward to playing ‘SC. We beat them three times last year, so they’re going to be ready to play us. It will be a great match.”
As Sampras Webster said, this particular rivalry has more than lived up to its hype. Just as the is case this season, the teams were neck and neck in the rankings for most of last year, which made their victories even more noteworthy.
Last year, UCLA made history with its 5-2 victory over USC to win its first-ever Pac-10 Championship.
Moreover, in their latest match against the Women of Troy, the Bruins were able to defeat their long-time rival with a convincing 4-0 victory in the NCAA Round of 16, en route to the national title.
Considering last year’s results, USC will undoubtedly come to Westwood with revenge in mind. Though the Bruin team consists of many new and younger faces, these changes in the lineup have not diminished the expectations placed upon them.
The young Bruins know full well that being defending champions is not without its high pressures, which are further amplified when the Trojans come to campus.
“Everyone’s coming into the match expecting to do well,” Sampras Webster said. “Neither team wants to lose, so everyone will be leaving it out on the court and doing everything they can to get the W’s for their team.”
