UCLA women’s tennis begins NCAA Tournament against Army Black Knights
The Bruins will open the NCAA Tournament against the Army Black Knights.
By Jason Wang
May 13, 2010 10:15 p.m.
Throughout the regular season, UCLA women’s tennis coach Stella Sampras Webster has had two goals for the team: attain a high seeding for the NCAA Tournament and host the NCAA regionals.
Missions accomplished.
Now it is time for the Bruins to focus on the ultimate goal of winning a national championship.
The No. 7 seeded Bruins (19-3) will face a successful but largely untested Army team in the first round of the NCAA Tournament today at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. This will be the second match in today’s four-team regional, with Arizona State playing St. Mary’s beforehand.
The Army Black Knights (20-9) are coming off their sixth consecutive Patriot League championship, but they will face an unfamiliar foe in the Bruins as the two teams have never met. Both teams will have to rely on pure statistics and word of mouth in preparation for today’s match.
“We definitely pay attention to their results and looked at players on their team,” said Sampras Webster. “Unfortunately, we won’t be able to see Army play (before the match), so we just have to go based on what we’ve heard or who they have beaten.”
Army will have to leave the comforts of its West Point home to venture to the West Coast for the first time this season. The Black Knights have not had to travel far this season: Of their 29 dual matches, 22 of them took place in Army’s Malek Courts, and only four took place outside the state of New York.
Sampras Webster noted that the Bruins are very pleased with their draw and that playing at home for the first two rounds is a tremendous advantage. The Bruins have only dropped one match at the LATC this season, a narrow 4-3 loss to top-seeded Baylor in March.
However, the Bruins have not played a dual or home match since the conclusion of the regular season almost a month ago. That is not to say the team has shown any signs of slowing down. During the stretch, the Bruins continued their unabated success individually by sweeping all four titles in the Pac-10 Championships.
Despite the Bruins’ recent road success, Sampras Webster expects a little anxiousness from the players given the importance of the upcoming matches.
“I think once we start competing there will be some nervousness and anxiety,” she acknowledged. “But once we get out there and playing, it’s all going to come back. This team has done so well under pressure and really responded in big moments.”
If the Bruins win today, they will play the winner of the Arizona State-St. Mary’s match Saturday. UCLA’s only match against Pac-10 foe Arizona State this season resulted in a close 4-3 win.
“ASU would be a good match for us,” Sampras Webster said. “They’re a strong team that’s looking to try to beat us. I’m sure they’re feeling like they have a good shot at beating us.”
As with Army, UCLA has never faced St. Mary’s. Though these two opponents may not have the recognition and status of the ranked and seeded teams, Sampras Webster stressed that the Bruins must not get ahead of themselves.
UCLA last drew a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and won six straight matches en route to a national title. To mirror 2008’s results, the Bruins will need to draw upon all the efforts and improvements of the season for one final stretch.
“Our players need to understand that they’ve done all the hard work,” Sampras Webster said. “We’ve built the foundation already, and now it’s just about going out and competing.”
