UCLA
Oregon
Bruins Visit Ducks for First Pac-12 Road Match
March 16, 2017 | Women's Tennis
LOS ANGELES -- The No. 20 UCLA women's tennis team hits the road this week for its first conference match away from Sunset Canyon Tennis Courts. Friday, The Bruins take the courts at the Oregon Student Tennis Center in Eugene Ore., where they will battle No. 35 Oregon. Play begins at 1:30 p.m.
The Bruins entered conference play March 10 on a three-match losing skid with No. 14 Stanford and No. 12 California scheduled to visit Sunset Courts. UCLA jumped out early on the Cardinal, as it grabbed the doubles point with a clinching victory on Court 3 by Ena Shibahara and Kristin Wiley. The Cardinal immediately responded in singles play, as it captured wins on Courts 4, 3 and 6 to put the pressure on the Bruins. Shibahara cut the deficit to 3-2 on Court 1, but the Stanford ultimately clinched the overall win on Court 5 with a three-set decision. The teams played out the final match on Court 2, where Terri Fleming defeated No. 36 Caroline Doyle, 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4.
The next day, the Bruins again jumped out to an early lead with the doubles point. The teams of Jada Hart and Fleming (7-6 [5] over No. 28 Maya Jansen and Maegan Manasse) and Alaina Miller and Gabby Andrews (6-1 over No. 23 Olivia Hauger and Karla Popovic) defeated ranked opponents, as the former claimed the clincher. Again, the visitors from the north ran off three consecutive points to begin singles play to put the Bruins on the brink of elimination. Miller, Shibahara and Wiley, though, would not let the Golden Bears pick up another point, as the trio gave the Bruins their first conference win with victories on Courts, 4, 1 and 6. Wiley recorded the clinching point with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win over Stephane Lin.
For her efforts during the week, Shibahara was named Pac-12 Player of the Week. The honor, the second of the freshman's career, recognized her two singles wins over ranked opponents, as well as her doubles-clinching victory (with Wiley) against Stanford.
In Oregon (8-5), the Bruins will face a team that has won three consecutive matches, including its first two Pac-12 contests. On the road, the Ducks went the distance in a 4-3 win over No. 25 Washington and completed the sweep with a 4-0 blanking of Washington State.
The Ducks are led by the doubles team of Julia Eshet and Marlou Kluiving, which is 18-3 on the season. The duo of Shweta Sangwan and Alyssa Tobita, meanwhile, is 17-6. In singles play, Sangwan holds a 12-6 record, while Eshet is 14-6 on her freshman campaign.
UCLA has never lost to Oregon, as it holds a 20-0 all-time record. In the teams' most recent meeting, the Bruins had to hold off the Ducks at Los Angeles Tennis Center to capture a 4-3 win (March 26, 2016). Current players Fleming and Miller recorded singles wins on Courts 3 and 4, respectively.
Players Mentioned
