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Women’s tennis prepares for ITA indoor championship against unfamiliar opponents

Senior Vivian Wolff is part of No. 2 UCLA women’s tennis’ second doubles team. Wolff and her partner senior Annette Goulak are undefeated so far this season. (Alex Driscoll/Daily Bruin staff)

Women's Basketball


ITA Indoor Championships
Friday-Sunday

Stillwater, Oklahoma
Oklahoma Live Stream

By Olivia Simons

Feb. 4, 2021 9:13 p.m.

Following victories in the ITA Kickoff Weekend, the Bruins are set to match up against the nation’s top teams.

No. 2 UCLA women’s tennis (2-0) is heading to Stillwater, Oklahoma, this weekend for the ITA National Women’s Team Indoor Championship, where it will first play against No. 10 Oklahoma State (2-0). Should they beat the Cowgirls, the Bruins will go on to play the winner of the match between No. 3 Texas and No. 13 Northwestern, and, pending victories, will move on to the semifinal and final rounds. Potential competition for UCLA in these final rounds include No. 1 North Carolina or No. 5 Pepperdine, as well as other top-ranked teams.

“Every match is going to be tough coming up and we haven’t had a lot of match play, so it’s going to be good to see where we’re at,” senior Abi Altick said. “We’ve all been practicing really hard so I think we’re ready.”

Not only is Oklahoma State a highly ranked team, it is also a team UCLA hasn’t played in over two years. They last played each other in February 2019, when they faced off in Stillwater with the Bruins winning 4-1.

Coach Stella Sampras Webster said playing a team they are unfamiliar with in a different conference – the Cowgirls play in the Big 12 – will be beneficial to the Bruins.

“Some of these teams we don’t know very well, which is fine,” Sampras Webster said. “It’s a great opportunity, I think, for us to play teams out of our conference to see how we compare to them.”

Sampras Webster also said she has confidence in her players’ ability to adapt to playing teams they are less familiar with.

“These players are used to not knowing very much about their opponents,” Sampras Webster said. “They do a really good job of problem solving and figuring things out, so I don’t think it really has any effect on our team as long as they feel prepared and have a good mindset.”

Senior Vivian Wolff also said she thinks her team’s mindset will play a role in its success against these top teams.

One of UCLA’s two victories this season came over a ranked program when it beat No. 19 California in the ITA Kickoff Weekend.

“I feel like it’s important to just focus on your game and try your best and compete,” Wolff said. “If you do all those things, have a good attitude, it’ll go well.”

The Cowgirls have already seen four matches called off this year, last playing Jan. 16. In its two victories against Missouri, Oklahoma State split the doubles point.

Sampras Webster said she would be looking to see how the Bruins’ doubles teams perform this weekend against such a strong opponent. Specifically, she mentioned observing how certain combinations play out against different teams.

“(I’ll be looking at) combinations, and seeing what other teams have and how strong their doubles are in comparison to ours and if we have to make adjustments,” Sampras Webster said. “Our No. 1 team is obviously super strong and if we can keep them together great but two and three, they’re gonna be tested, so I just want to see how they compare to the best in the country.”

UCLA’s top team, the nation’s No. 1-ranked doubles pair of junior Elysia Bolton and graduate student Jada Hart, is currently undefeated through two matches this season and went 9-1 last season. UCLA’s current No. 2 doubles team, consisting of senior Annette Goulak and Wolff, is also undefeated this season.

The Bruins have used multiple No. 3 teams already this season, alternating between sophomore Abbey Forbes and junior Taylor Johnson with Altick in their two matches.

In spite of the top-ranked matches awaiting the Bruins, Wolff said she feels good about her team’s odds in the championship.

“This is really a big match coming up at this scale, and I’m super excited to represent the Bruins in this really big weekend,” Wolff said. “I have a good feeling that we’re going to do great.”

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Olivia Simons | Quad editor
Simons is the 2023-2024 Quad editor. She was previously the 2022-2023 managing editor, an assistant Sports editor on the baseball, women's tennis, men's tennis, swim and dive and rowing beats and a reporter on the baseball and women's tennis beats. She is also a fourth-year student from Oakland, California.
Simons is the 2023-2024 Quad editor. She was previously the 2022-2023 managing editor, an assistant Sports editor on the baseball, women's tennis, men's tennis, swim and dive and rowing beats and a reporter on the baseball and women's tennis beats. She is also a fourth-year student from Oakland, California.
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