UCLA women’s tennis starts winning streak with victory over USC

This post was updated Feb. 27 at 10:52 p.m.

After losing two matches to unranked opponents, the Bruins have strung together upsets of ranked Pac-12 foes.

No. 56 UCLA women’s tennis (4-3) upended No. 12 USC (6-5) by a score of 4-1 at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Friday afternoon, four days after defeating No. 6 California (6-4). Then-No. 4 UCLA previously dropped 4-3 decisions to then-unranked Loyola Marymount and then-unranked Washington earlier in the 2021-2022 campaign but has now picked up two consecutive ranked wins.

“For us to get these two wins is huge for our players,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster. “Just their confidence and believing in each other, believing in the team and believing in the process is the biggest thing because we have been working super hard.”

The Bruins carried a 1-0 deficit into singles play against the Golden Bears on Monday, but they grabbed the doubles point against the Trojans.

Freshman Kimmi Hance and junior Sasha Vagramov served a 6-1 loss to USC’s Sloane Morra and Danielle Willson on court three. Since their dual-match debut on Feb. 4, the tandem has been perfect at third doubles with a 4-0 record.

Vagramov said on-court energy is a key factor behind her consistent success with Hance.

“The support we have for each other on court makes a difference,” Vagramov said. “I just love the energy that we have, and I think that’s what really makes a good doubles team. The chemistry between us is really good, and we’re always pumping each other up.”

No. 30 freshman Ava Catanzarite and junior Abbey Forbes backed up their teammates’ performance with a 6-2 triumph on court two, locking down the doubles point for the blue and gold. With the win, the Bruins advanced to 5-2 on the season in an attempt to claim the 1-0 advantage.

In singles, USC sent forth a front-court trio that outranked UCLA in each respective matchup. No. 5 Eryn Cayetano, No. 36 Salma Ewing and No. 56 Snow Han took the first, second and third courts opposite No. 115 Forbes, senior Elysia Bolton and No. 102 Vagramov.

While the top half of the lineup battled it out on the frontcourts, No. 111 Hance notched the first singles win for the Bruins on court four, snagging a 6-1, 6-2 decision to give UCLA a 2-0 lead. That lead was subsequently trimmed to one when Vagramov fell 6-1, 6-4 to Han on court three.

After being handed a breadstick in the first set, Catanzarite dropped three games the rest of the way en route to a 1-6, 6-2, 6-1 defeat of No. 103 Willson. In her first-ever match against USC, Catanzarite said she used her knowledge of her opponent to bring UCLA within a point of the win.

“I was told this girl is pretty streaky so she came out on top and was just swinging,” Catanzarite said. “I told myself, ‘Weather the storm, keep putting balls in the court and keep making her play,’ and I was able to adjust.”

Sampras Webster said for the freshman, keeping her cool was invaluable to a three-set win.

“You never know how your freshmen are going to perform and react in these exciting moments, and she didn’t panic,” Sampras Webster said. “After losing the first set, she stayed within herself and her game, and I was really happy how she competed out there.”

The three Bruins still in action had all claimed their respective first sets, but the following frames were a different story. Freshman Elise Wagle faltered 6-3 in her second set, and Bolton was taken to a tiebreaker that went unfinished.

Forbes delivered the individual upset that completed the overall upset, a 6-4, 7-5 triumph over Cayetano on court one. After spending all season at or below .500, Forbes’ victory gave the Bruins their first winning record.

Sampras Webster said it was a pleasure to see her players celebrate with Forbes in front of UCLA’s first home crowd in a match against USC in nearly three years.

“It’s wonderful to see your team come together and enjoy this journey,” Sampras Webster said. “Competition in sports is such a roller coaster, so you’ve got to enjoy the times that it turns out like this because you don’t always get those wins.”

The crowd featured some uncommon members, including familiar faces to the team. Now-professional UCLA alumni Jennifer Brady and Robin Anderson, ranked No. 145 and 168 in the world, respectively, were in attendance to support the program.

“So many great faces in the crowd today,” Vagramov said. “I love when the alumni come and support. They’re super inspirational, and I love talking to them and hearing their experiences now on the pro tours.”

With its first winning streak of the season in tow, UCLA will commence conference play Friday at Colorado.