Women’s tennis’ doubles edge softens in second match of season
Sophomore Kristin Wiley teamed with freshman Alaina Miller at No. 3 doubles over the weekend, beating their UC Irvine opponents but falling to their Fresno State counterparts after taking an early lead. (Daily Bruin file photo)
By Kyle Cardoza
Jan. 27, 2016 7:31 a.m.
Just two matches into the season, the women’s tennis team has already done something it rarely did last year: It lost a doubles point.
UCLA earned 18 of the 22 possible doubles points during the 2015 regular season but in Saturday’s matchup with Fresno State, the Bulldogs took the doubles point and won 4-3 to eliminate the Bruins from the ITA Kick-Off Weekend Indoor Qualifier.
Despite gaining a lead in two of the three doubles matches, UCLA could not hold on, losing at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles and giving Fresno State the momentum heading into the singles matches. In a contest that came down to the final singles match, the lost doubles point was ultimately the difference between a win and a loss for UCLA.
“Starting singles off 0-1 definitely put the pressure on us and it made a difference,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster.
Against the more seasoned Bulldogs, the Bruins’ lack of doubles experience showed.
Seniors Catherine Harrison and Kyle McPhillips are the lone returning doubles pair from last season, and even they hadn’t played a match together since last May, Harrison said. Although Harrison and McPhillips were able to win against Fresno State, the Bruins’ two less experienced doubles teams faltered.
After garnering a 3-0 lead on the third court, freshman Alaina Miller and sophomore Kristin Wiley lost six of their last seven games, while sophomores Terri Fleming and Maia Magill fell 6-1 to Bulldog seniors Sophie and Anneka Watts, the No. 58 doubles pair in the nation.
Fresno State challenged UCLA by approaching the net, playing more aggressively than UCLA’s Friday opponent, UC Irvine.
Although the Bruins could not make up for their lack of experience against the Bulldogs, they showed potential against UC Irvine.
They adjusted well to Irvine’s conservative strategy of staying deep in the backcourt by playing patiently and limiting unforced errors as they took the doubles point. The Bruins won 10 games against the Anteaters across all three doubles courts before letting one get away.
Miller and Wiley swept their UC Irvine opponents 6-0. The two meshed their forehand-heavy strategies together to isolate their opponents’ backhands, ultimately allowing easy smashes in the forecourt.
“(Miller) is a really good partner for me,” Wiley said. “She hits the ball really hard and sets me up so I can finish off the points.”
Fleming and Magill showed signs of development together as well. Magill’s versatility in the backcourt combined with Fleming’s forecourt mobility produced an early lead and maintain it against the Anteaters.
“We haven’t played a lot together, but we have always had really good chemistry on and off the court,” Magill said.
UCLA’s doubles pairs will gain chemistry the more they play together, but conference play could expose their current inexperience. Only time will determine whether the Bruins can dominate the doubles point like they did last year or whether they will let it lead to their downfall like it did against the Bulldogs.
