UCLA Signs SoCal Standout Shibahara
November 17, 2015 | Women's Tennis
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Ena Shibahara, one of the most decorated tennis players in CIF Southern Section history, has signed a letter of intent to study at UCLA and play tennis for the Bruins.
“We are so excited to have Ena join our Bruin family,” said UCLA head coach Stella Sampras Webster. “She is everything we want in a Bruin. It's also great to sign someone local who has such a great reputation.”
The blue chip recruit from Rancho Palos Verdes won back-to-back singles championships and clinched her team's third straight CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship. Peninsula opens its state title defense next week in search for another title three-peat.
The UCLA-bound star captured the Bay League singles title for the second straight season. Shibahara has advanced to the CIF Southern Section Individuals, where she is the defending singles champion. This season, Shibahara helped Peninsula clinch its sixth consecutive Bay League team title.
Last April, Shibahara joined the company of legends Billie Jean King and Tracy Austin with her performance at the 115th Ojai Valley Tournament. Peninsula's then junior standout captured her first women's Open singles title with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 victory over top-seeded Emma Higuchi.
Shibahara then teamed with Colton's Jada Hart to capture back-to-back Open doubles titles with a 6-0, 6-7 (4), 6-3 win against USC graduate Kaitlyn Christian, a three-time Pac-12 doubles winner and the 2013 NCAA champion, and former Michigan standout Amy Zhu.
Shibahara matched the achievement of former UCLA star Noelle Hickey in 2013, along with King (1966) and Austin (1977), by winning Open singles and doubles titles in the same year.
“Ena is not only an amazing tennis player, but she has amazing character,” said Sampras Webster. “She is someone you want around your program and around your athletes.”
