UCLA
Arizona
UCLA Set for Desert Duels with Arizona, ASU
April 13, 2017 | Women's Tennis
LOS ANGELES -- The No. 22 UCLA women's tennis team will take a couple of winning streaks into the desert this week when they visit Arizona and Arizona State in a pair of Pac-12 road matches. The Bruins, who have won three consecutive road contests and six straight overall, will take on the Wildcats Friday at 1:30 p.m. (PT) before battling the Sun Devils a day later at 12:00 p.m. (PT). Coverage of the match at Arizona State will be available on ASU Live Stream-2.
UCLA is coming off back-to-back 4-0 wins over Colorado and Utah at Sunset Canyon Tennis Courts last week. For the seventh and eighth-straight times, the Bruins jumped on their opponent early, capturing the doubles point without a loss. On each occasion, the opening point was clinched by the team of Terri Fleming and Jada Hart, which is now 7-0 on the dual-match season and 11-0 overall. The decisive points were clinched by Hart (Colorado) and Alaina Miller (Utah). For her efforts in the Bruin wins, Jada Hart was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week for the second time in her career.
When the latest Oracle/ITA rankings were released Tuesday, the Bruins sat at No. 22. Individually, Ena Shibahara, who holds a 13-2 dual-match record (33-5 overall) and has won seven in a row, checked in at No. 3 in the nation. Coming off her big week, Hart rose to No. 107. In doubles, the combination of Hart and Shibahara was ranked No. 10, while Fleming-Hart came in at No. 24.
In Arizona, the Bruins will encounter a team that holds an 11-9 overall record and a 2-5 mark in conference play. The Wildcats are coming off a dramatic 4-3 road victory at Washington State that saw the Cougars rally from a 3-0 deficit before falling on Court 6. Lauren Marker, who is the lone Arizona player in this week's rankings at No. 31, recorded a straight-set win over Washington State's Barbora Michalkova on Court 1, 6-1, 6-4.
UCLA will look to improve upon a 63-8 all-time record against the Wildcats when they visit the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center. In last season's 5-2 home win (April 9, 2016), current Bruin players Fleming, Miller and Kristin Wiley all recorded wins in singles play.
On Saturday, No. 29 Arizona State will present the Bruins with their first ranked opponent since the final day of March. The Sun Devils possess a 12-5 overall record and are off to a 5-2 start in Pac-12 play. Like UCLA, Arizona State is riding a streak, having won five in a row. The Sun Devils are represented in the rankings by No. 75 Kassidy Jump, No. 102 Kelley Anderson and No. 109 Sammi Hampton. In doubles, meanwhile, the team of Nicole Fossa Huergo and Alexandra Osborne checked in at No. 73.
The teams went the distance last season, as the Sun Devils held off the Bruins at Los Angeles Tennis Center, 4-3 (April 8, 2016). A weather delay forced the teams to begin the contest with singles play, which was tied upon completion. With wins on Courts 1 and 2, Arizona State secured the doubles point and the match.
Players Mentioned
