After a rainy season, UCLA women’s tennis faces heated matches in Arizona
Elise Wagle gears up for a backhand stroke. The sophomore for UCLA women’s tennis will have the chance to return to the win column after both her singles matches last weekend went unfinished. (Nicolas Greamo/Daily Bruin senior staff)
Women's Tennis
Arizona
Friday, 12 p.m.
LaNelle Robson Tennis Center (Tucson, AZ)
Arizona Live Stream-4
Arizona State
Saturday, 12 p.m.
Whiteman Tennis Center
ASU Live Stream-3
By Natalie Glawe
April 6, 2023 10:27 a.m.
Following two morale-boosting conference victories, the Bruins are gearing up for a heat wave this weekend.
UCLA women’s tennis (8-5, 3-3 Pac-12) will head eastward to face both Arizona (14-9, 1-4) and Arizona State (12-5, 2-3) this Friday and Saturday, respectively. Despite the Bruins’ recent triumphs over Colorado and Utah, coach Stella Sampras Webster asserted that the Bruins will have to bring a mental toughness to the Grand Canyon state.
“We need every player out there playing for us to be mentally strong,” Sampras Webster said. “That’s the biggest thing – a really strong mindset going in.”
Roughly half of the blue and gold’s squad has yet to experience a match in the desert, and Sampras Webster said they must come mentally and physically prepared for the changes in altitude and temperature in order to topple the home defenders.
Sophomore Elise Wagle said despite never having played a match in Arizona, she is not worried about the adaptation it calls for.
“I don’t think anyone’s really worried about playing not at home,” Wagle said. “It’s just like another tournament, another place that we have to adapt to.”
In 2022, UCLA was successful in defeating both teams, claiming a final score of 4-0 versus Arizona and 4-1 against Arizona State on March 11 and March 12, respectively. The Bruins have historically dominated both the Wildcats and Sun Devils, boasting a total record of 69-8 in matches against the former and 62-18 against the latter.
In light of that history, sophomore Kimmi Hance said the team must come ready to substantiate its stature.
“It’s a good opportunity for us as a team to prove ourselves,” Hance said. “To prove that we definitely deserve to be ranked in the top 20 in the NCAA, even though we had a tough start this year.”
Largely because of a season full of rain delays and cancellations, the Bruins enter the weekend with comparatively less action under their belt than both the Wildcats and Sun Devils.
Wagle said the team is gearing up for the challenge of it all.
“The mental preparation is the same,” Wagle said. “Do what you got to do to win.”
With the regular season coming to a close in the coming weeks, UCLA anticipates the need for victories in order to boost its chances at a selection for the NCAA team tournament.
And the trek to Arizona gives the blue and gold a solid opportunity to stay on that track.
“They’re excited to be tested in both matches,” Sampras Webster said.
