In sports, victory is always the goal.

However, wins do not last forever. In golf, the highs following a tournament victory must soon turn into motivation for the next week’s showdown.

UCLA women’s golf will compete at the Darius Rucker Intercollegiate in Hilton Head, South Carolina, starting Monday. The Bruins are coming off their first win of the season at the Bruin Wave Invitational in Santa Clarita, California.

“I told the girls that I’m really proud of them,” said coach Alicia Um Holmes. “I’m really happy for them because it has been a trying couple weeks.”

Despite the Bruins losing two of their top players – as then-seniors Zoe Antoinette Campos and Caroline Canales left the team to pursue the pros – they cruised to victory in their last event, winning the tournament by 22 strokes.

To make matters even sweeter, Um Holmes may have another star in the making on her squad.

Freshman Francesca Fiorellini is coming off her first individual win as a collegiate golfer. Her 9-under 207 put her ten shots above the second-place golfer in the field.

“I was focusing on my game and not watching what other people were doing,” Fiorellini said. “I was enjoying the day and playing my game.”

Fiorellini heads to South Carolina after a dominating performance, where her victory proved to be the lowest score in tournament history.

While the freshman spearheaded the Bruins’ performance in Santa Clarita, she is going to the East Coast with help. The top three finishers in the Bruin Wave Invitational repped the home team, with five Bruins in total placing 11th or better.

The Darius Rucker Intercollegiate features a par-71 course that spans 7,000 yards across Lowcountry backdrop and saltwater marshes. This will be the Bruins’ third time in the event; they finished tied for eighth in 2019 and fourth in 2020. Freshman Angela Liu said she hopes the momentum following last week’s showing will lead to even better results this time around.

“It’s about hitting good shots consistently, and that builds confidence over time,” Liu said.

The Bruins’ lineup will consist of their top five finishers from their Santa Clarita victory. That means Fiorellini and Liu will be joined by senior Tiffany Le, who finished second at the Bruin Wave Invitational, as well as senior Natalie Vo and freshman Maye Huang.

Inclement weather also may make an appearance on the final day. The Bruins must prepare for Wednesday’s forecast, which hints at showers and thunderstorms.

“I would have them be prepared with our equipment, trying to stay warm and stay dry,” Um Holmes said.

After taking their first event of the year last week, the Bruins can carry momentum into what is becoming a new era of women’s golf at UCLA.

But for Um Holmes, it is just business as usual.

“I want them to be themselves and play their game,” she said. “When you go out and compete, let all the repetitions take over and just play.”