This post was updated Feb. 20 at 6:21 p.m.

Women’s tennis
Chloe Agas, Daily Bruin staff

Forecasted rain brought an unexpected change in plans, but one thing remained the same – familiarity.

No. 6 UCLA women’s tennis (2-0) will face No. 18 California (1-1) at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Sunday, marking the 51st matchup between the two in the last 26 years. The dual match was originally scheduled for Berkeley, California, but relocated to Westwood due to predicted weather.

The Bruins hold a 26-24 all-time lead against the Golden Bears. Their last meeting came during the final Pac-12 Championships in April, where UCLA’s title bid was cut short by Cal. The Golden Bears finished the 2024 season ranked No. 10 in the nation.

While Sunday’s match marks the programs’ first meeting since UCLA departed for the Big Ten and Cal for the Atlantic Coast Conference, their long history as conference rivals continues to fuel the fire. The Bruins last defeated the Golden Bears in 2022, with Cal taking the last three meetings.

“It’s going to be a dog fight,” said freshman Kate Fakih. “We’re very familiar with them and we’re going to put our best foot forward.”

Cal enters the matchup boasting a roster with two ranked doubles teams and four ranked singles players. Mao Mushika and Jessica Alsola are key contributors to the Golden Bears’ nationally ranked crew, with the pair ranked No. 24 in doubles.

The Bruins qualified for their first ITA Team Indoor Championship in four years Saturday, but the team already set their sights on what lies ahead.

“It’s a quick turnaround,” said junior Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer. “Focusing on recovery, making sure our doubles are clean and everyone’s working on their own things individually – it’ll be a good week of practice.”

With a chance to extend their ongoing win streak, the Bruins will serve off at 9 a.m. Sunday.

“We want to be at our best in May,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster. “These matches are important for us to build as a team to be our best.”

Men’s tennis
Caleb Kim, Daily Bruin contributor

Success often hinges on a team’s ability to build on past performances. For the Bruins, the upcoming weekend presents an opportunity to do just that.

Coming off a consolation-match victory over Georgia during ITA Kickoff Weekend, No. 25 UCLA men’s tennis (2-2) has a chance to carry a winning momentum back to Westwood. UCLA returns to the Los Angeles Tennis Center to face California (4-0) on Saturday before battling No. 13 Stanford (3-1) on Sunday.

Coach Billy Martin said that while his team has seen both victories and setbacks, growth and refinement remain the priorities.

“Everybody had wins, everybody had losses,” Martin said. ”But we got to keep trying to work on our little bit of everybody’s individual weaknesses and just keep improving on that. These matches exploit those things.”

The Bruins’ performances this weekend could redetermine the season’s trajectory. Stanford, ranked 12 spots ahead of UCLA, could present a significant challenge, while Cal enters the weekend unblemished.

For senior Alexander Hoogmartens, the recent matches have given him confidence heading into the weekend.

“I’m definitely happy I found my way of playing a little bit,” Hoogmartens said, following a pair of singles wins during the ITA Kickoff Weekend. “I like my big forehand, big serve, so that’s definitely going to help in the next match or the rest of the season – just to dominate with my forehand.”

Learning from their latest matches, Hoogmartens said the Bruins have a better understanding of capitalizing on key moments and sustaining intensity.

“They (the Bulldogs) were really strong with their returns, and they put a lot of pressure on us,” Hoogmartens said. “So we tried to do the same thing – make solid returns, keep the ball in play and create as many break opportunities as we could, and we did.”

While last weekend’s victory helped reinforce its game plan, UCLA’s mentality remains unchanged, regardless of the opponent.

“They definitely should know that we’re ready to compete and win,” Hoogmartens said.