A little bit of sunshine can go a long way.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, sunlight exposure improves mood and helps regulate sleep,

And for the Bruins, returning to outdoor competition at home led to their first ranked dual-match win since early February .

UCLA women’s tennis (5-2) defeated Pepperdine (4-7) in a 5-2 victory at the Los Angeles Tennis Center on Wednesday .

“We’re really happy to be outside again,” said senior Kimmi Hance. “We thrive out here.”

The competition marked the squad’s return to action after last playing in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships from Feb. 7 to Feb. 9 – where it ultimately lost two of three – and UCLA’s first outdoor win since besting then-No. 18 California on Feb. 2.

The Bruins move to 61-22 all-time against the Waves, having now won the last three contests between the schools.

“Pepperdine always brings the best out of us,” said coach Stella Sampras Webster.

After dropping their first game to Pepperdine’s Duru Soke and Sebastianna Scilipoti, No. 59 sophomore Ahmani Guichard and junior Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer won six straight to secure the set 6-1.

“AC and I work really well together,” Guichard said. “We were staying true to ourselves.”

Meanwhile, No. 4 freshmen Olivia Center and Kate Fakih defeated No. 39 Anastasiia Grechkina and Alexia Harmon 6-3, fending off the Pepperdine duo who nearly crawled back after a 4-0 start, to secure the doubles point.

No. 42 Fakih, who earned her fourth weekly conference award of the season when she was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week Feb. 12, picked up a 6-2, 6-3 singles win against Scilipoti.

Guichard and No. 28 Lutkemeyer garnered singles points as well, beating the Waves’ No. 52 Grechkina 6-1, 6-3 and Alexia Harmon 6-1, 7-5, respectively.

But the biggest upsets of the day came when Hance – who remains unranked in singles this season despite consistently taking court one for the Bruins – beat No. 16 Savannah Broadus 6-4, 6-4.

Hance, who is coming off an injury in the fall, said she is happy to be competing again.

“It was great to see (Hance) getting her form back,” Sampras Webster said.

UCLA’s victory over Pepperdine could be what the team needs to reestablish themselves in the national rankings. The Bruins have fallen 19 places since Feb. 12 – despite not competing since Feb. 9 – and started 2025 ranked No. 5.

“We want our players to get as uncomfortable as possible,” Sampras Webster said. “The more we’re tested, the better.”