UCLA women’s tennis looks forward to playing California in front of home crowd

After over two weeks removed from competition, the Bruins are back in Westwood with a match against a conference foe.

No. 22 UCLA women’s tennis (2-3) is set to face off against No. 7 California (5-3) on Monday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The Bruins are coming off a 5-2 road loss to Pepperdine on Feb. 5 with a 2-2 record at home.

Coach Stella Sampras Webster said the team is ready to play Monday after two weeks of strong practices.

“We’re going to get tested, and I’m excited to see how,” Sampras Webster said. “(California is) a great opportunity to play a team that’s done quite well.”

The Bruins have not lost a home match to the Golden Bears since February 2016 and hold a 9-2 regular-season record against California in the last five seasons.

“They’re always a tough team. They’re coached very well. They’ve got very good doubles,” Sampras Webster said. “To play them at home is always an advantage because they’re tough up there. They’re tough in their own home courts, so we’ll try to take advantage of it.”

Through eight dual matches, the Golden Bears are undefeated at home but hold a 3-3 record on the road this season, including two straight defeats.

While UCLA started out at No. 5 in the preseason polls, it fell to No. 22 in the current national rankings after dropping three of its first five contests.

Overall and within the last two weeks, the team has focused on improving shot tolerance, serving and receiving, and player cohesion, according to Sampras Webster.

“We’ve been meshing better and improving and (are) obviously grateful to be here,” added freshman Ava Catanzarite. “(We’re) excited to be out there and competing against a top Pac-12 team.”

The match will also feature several firsts for the team, including the first time UCLA’s three freshmen will face off against California. Monday’s match will also be the first time in almost two years the Bruins will play the Golden Bears in front of a full home crowd after the COVID-19 pandemic limited fan attendance last season.

“Being here during COVID and the pandemic and everything, I really just want to focus on the fact that we are on these courts playing matches,” said junior Abbey Forbes. “It’s a blessing. It’s an opportunity that not a whole lot of people get, and I think that we’ve improved as a team just recognizing that privilege and acknowledging that we should be grateful.”

No. 76 Forbes, who lost the tail end of her first year on the team to the pandemic and competed last year without spectators, said having the home crowd is what she is looking forward to the most Monday. With COVID-19 restrictions lifting, the Bruins were able to play their first few matches of the season with a crowd to cheer them on.

“This year we get to do it with as many fans as we want, and we have our home crowd. We have our home courts, and that’s the thing I’m most excited about,” Forbes said.

The Bruins’ match against the Golden Bears begins on Monday at noon.