UCLA
Northwestern
No. 16 UCLA Goes Distance to Earn Indoors Bid
January 27, 2018 | Women's Tennis
LEXINGTON, Ky. โ The No. 16 UCLA women's tennis team earned a bid to the ITA National Indoor Championships Saturday with a 4-3 win over Northwestern at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. The win also marked the 400th of head coach Stella Sampras Webster's career.
It was a rocky start to the match for UCLA, as Northwestern grabbed a quick lead in doubles. The Wildcat tandem of Rheeya Doshia and Julie Byrne defeated the Bruins' Alaina Miller and Gabby Andrews on Court 3, 6-4, to pick up the early edge. Then, in a matchup of two Top-10 doubles pairs on Court 1, No. 4 Erin Larner and Maddie Lipp of Northwestern held off UCLA's No. 7 team of Jada Hart and Ena Shibahara, 7-5, to clinch and abandon the Court 2 match.
With four courts in the Boone Tennis Complex, the teams' top quartets did battle first. No. 16 Shibahara quickly shook off the doubles loss to defeat No. 60 Orr, 7-5, 6-1, on Court 1. Broomfield was next up, topping Inci Ogut by a 6-3, 6-3 score to give the Bruins the edge. The Wildcats quickly evened it back up, though, with No. 92 Lipp topping No. T100 Fleming in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. Northwestern's Larner came back against Hart to force a third-set tiebreak, which she took along with the Court 2 match, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (3).
That left it up to Courts 5 and 6, where Bruins No. 46 Abi Altick and No. 76 Alaina Miller raced to first-set wins. While Miller dropped the second to Chatt, Altick also took the second over No. 99 Doshi to tie the match back up at three. In the decisive third set, Miller won four straight games to clinchย the match and the Bruins' berth to the University of Wisconsin-hosted ITA Indoor Championships.
Miller breaks, winning four straight games, as UCLA defeats NW, 4-3! pic.twitter.com/5erhDR8LOg
โ UCLA Women's Tennis (@uclawtennis) January 27, 2018
Before heading to Wisconsin for the Feb. 9-12 Indoors, UCLA will welcome Saint Mary's for a Friday, Feb. 2 match at Los Angeles Tennis Center. The Bruins and Gaels will begin play at 1:30 p.m.
Tennis Match Results
Northwestern vs UCLA
Jan 27, 2018 at Lexington, Ky.
(Boone Tennis Complex)
#16 UCLA 4, Northwestern 3
Singles competition
1. #16 Ena Shibahara (UCLA) def. #60 Lee Or (NU) 7-5, 6-1
2. Erin Larner (NU) def. #119 Jada Hart (UCLA) 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
3. #92 Maddie Lipp (NU) def. #100 Terri Fleming (UCLA) 6-3, 6-4
4. Ayan Broomfield (UCLA) def. Inci Ogut (NU) 6-3, 6-3
5. #46 Abi Altick (UCLA) def. #99 Rheeya Doshi (NU) 6-3, 6-3
6. #76 Alaina Miller (UCLA) def. Alex Chatt (NU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #4 Erin Larner/Maddie Lipp (NU) def. #7 Jada Hart/Ena Shibahara (UCLA) 7-5
2. Ayan Broomfield/Terri Fleming (UCLA) vs. #8 Alex Chatt/Lee Or (NU) 6-5, unfinished
3. Rheeya Doshi/Julie Byrne (NU) def. Alaina Miller/Gabby Andrews (UCLA) 6-4
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (1,4,3,2,5,6)
Official: Larry Sloane
Players Mentioned
