No. 8 seed UCLA women’s tennis (18-5, 9-1 Pac-12) will host the first three rounds of the NCAA championships for the first time in three years. Despite losing to the Golden Bears in the Pac-12 semifinals less than a week prior, the Bruins earned the No. 8 seed and will face San Diego State (16-6, 7-2 Mountain West Conference) in the first round at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. Take a look at how the Daily Bruin women’s tennis beat predicts the team’s fate on the national stage.

Olivia Simons
Daily Bruin senior staff
Prediction: Elite Eight exit

Oklahoma State women’s tennis has not lost a match all season.

That’s 27 straight wins, including 14 at home where the Bruins would meet the Cowgirls should they advance to the Elite Eight together.

The road to the quarterfinals involves three matches at the Los Angeles Tennis Center for No. 8 seed UCLA women’s tennis, a team that has not lost at home this season. While any trend can change on the big stage, it will be a difficult but doable task for the Bruins to defend their home courts with a trio of beginning-round wins.

Away from their beloved LA home, however, the Bruins are 8-5 including a 1-3 neutral site record, which all NCAA matches are considered. Once the team flies out of Westwood, UCLA will most likely face Oklahoma State for the chance at tarnishing the Big 12 darling’s perfect record.

The Bruins have a split 3-3 overall record against the Cowgirls since 2013 with two of those prior matchups being in the NCAA tournament. The most recent iteration of their meeting on the big stage came two seasons ago where Oklahoma State knocked off UCLA 4-2 in the Sweet 16. The only starting Bruin this season to defeat a Cowgirl in singles two years ago was then-freshman Kimmi Hance, whose prowess has continued to build this season, but whose resume has been marred recently by two frustrating losses.

UCLA will need to be firing on all cylinders in the postseason to both make it to Cowgirl territory and to have a shot at an Elite Eight victory. Should every player perform at their absolute best in Stillwater, Oklahoma, a win isn’t completely out of the question. But the cylinders haven’t all clicked together in any highly competitive match this year, meaning Bruins will likely have to take turns with the heroics and clinching wins in May.

It may be of use to look at other statistics throughout UCLA’s season to calculate the most likely outcome for the NCAA run. But the reality is that the Cowgirls have only ever tasted victory this year and aren’t going to even sniff a loss anytime soon.

Jack Nelson
Daily Bruin senior staff
Prediction: Elite Eight exit

We’re all told at some point in time that we can no longer play the children’s game.

Some of us are told at 18 years old, some of us are told at 40. But we’re all told.

The Bruins can heed those words – spoken to a young Billy Beane by a New York Mets scout in the film “Moneyball.”

They made the regular season look like child’s play, dispatching ranked foe after ranked foe en route to the third conference title in program history. But California showed UCLA what it takes to win big under the heightened pressure of the postseason, ushering it out of the Pac-12 championships in the semifinals.

Still, home-court advantage will aid the Bruins in cruising through their regional. San Diego State is a surefire sweep, and a likely matchup with No. 25 Texas Tech in the second round also plays heavily to UCLA’s favor, having won last year’s postseason matchup 4-1 and much improved since.

Then come the trying times synonymous with May.

Then-No. 6 Texas came to the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Jan. 19 and handed UCLA two singles walkovers – a heavy asterisk in the eventual 5-2 win – but is fully healthy now with every reason for revenge in a Sweet 16 contest. Hard-fought 4-3 victories against then-No. 5 Stanford, then-No. 7 Pepperdine and then-No. 8 USC, though, are convincing evidence that UCLA can pull off a tightwire act.

But the road ends a week later.

No. 1 seed Oklahoma State will inevitably be waiting, an unfortunate draw for a UCLA team that possesses Final Four ingredients. The Cowgirls are an unstoppable force, and the Bruins aren’t the immovable object that can match them.

The Bruins will be no postseason flame-out like the storied 2002 Oakland Athletics that Beane assembled.

It’s just not their time.

Chloe Agas
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: NCAA champions

The reality is that an NCAA championship is easier said than done.

Last week, the last Pac-12 championships occurred in Ojai, California. The Bruins had a mission to seek redemption with a record consisting of only one loss during the regular season, granting them the No.1 seed.

However, UCLA women’s tennis made it past the quarterfinals only to be surpassed by the adversary that bested it during conference play. The Golden Bears ended the Bruins’ run in Ojai, proving the true nature and intensity of postseason contests.

Heading into the NCAA championships, the Bruins were granted the No. 8 seed – guaranteeing them a chance to host the first three rounds at home at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The familiar grounds could provide an advantage through the first round against San Diego State.

Their next face-off would be against No. 25 Texas Tech. The last matchup was over a year ago where the Bruins proved their ability to overcome the Red Raiders. UCLA could defeat Texas Tech once more, but a familiar foe in the next round may be challenging.

UCLA faced then-No. 6 Texas in the preseason, ending with a top-10 victory to commence Pac-12 play. Ahead of the Sweet 16, however, there are potential challenges that UCLA might face against Texas, with an overall record of 21-5.

Yet, the paramount awaits on the horizon.

No. 1 Oklahoma State – who boasts a perfect record – could end the Bruins’ national run. I am keen to overlook how the Bruins will excel after being one of three teams that tallied 4-3 against the top gun all season. This match is proven to be a seesawing act between the two adversaries.

Defeat was inevitable, but the fight was imminent in the Bruins efforts. This would not be their first rodeo with close-tied battles and clinchers all season. Ultimately, hard fought battles led to victory against top-10 ranked Pepperdine, Stanford and USC. These efforts encompass an ultimatum.

They will not go down without a fight.

Although the Cowgirls are poised to avoid bitter defeat and maintain the sweetness of victory, the tenacity and determination of the Bruins can sway the balance. If they can overcome the top-ranked team, they forge a way towards the ultimate prize: a national championship.

Elise Oliver
Daily Bruin contributor
Prediction: Elite Eight exit

Wishful thinking promises much but often delivers little.

That’s not to say a Bruins’ run is impossible – but it is unlikely.

UCLA women’s tennis ended the regular season on a eight-game tear, but rammed into a brick wall in the Pac-12 semifinals against California – the very team that handed the Bruins their last defeat before their impressive run, effectively sandwiching their wins with the bitter taste of defeat.

Still, the Bruins should encounter little resistance in the first round, fully capable of dominating San Diego State. Their next challenge comes against No. 25 Texas Tech, a team they’ve proven capable of defeating decisively, evidenced by their 4-1 victory last year despite their rare setback of dropping the doubles point.

The Bruins will face another Lone Star State contender – No. 9 Texas – certainly a tougher opponent. However, with home-court advantage behind them, they are poised to squeeze out another win, reminiscent of their earlier 5-2 victory against the Longhorns this season.

And as much as I’d like to say the Bruins could keep going, that’ll be where their journey ends.

UCLA boasts a talented team this year, with a perfect 10-0 record at home. But maintaining that momentum against No. 1 Oklahoma State might prove too difficult a task. While the Bruins put up a fight in their earlier encounter, narrowly losing 4-3 while still finding their footing, facing the undefeated powerhouse will be a different challenge altogether.

Despite the Bruins’ impressive lineup, including the reigning NCAA singles champion in No. 35 Tian Fangran, they might find themselves outmatched by an Oklahoma State team that has yet to drop a single match this season. With a flawless 27-0 record and a dominant performance in the Big 12 Championship, where they only conceded one point to Central Florida, the Cowgirls are a juggernaut that the Bruins will not overpower.

Had the Bruins knocked off the Bears in the Pac-12 semifinals, I would have been inclined to believe they could go all the way. After all, they’ve demonstrated their ability to defeat top-10 opponents, with wins against then-No. 5 Stanford and then-No. 7 Pepperdine under their belt.

But, echoing the pattern of last year, they will run out of steam when it matters most.