UCLA
USC
UCLA Drops Regular-Season Finale to USC, 4-3
April 22, 2017 | Women's Tennis
LOS ANGELES -- The UCLA women's tennis team narrowly lost to USC, 4-3, in the regular-season finale at Sunset Canyon Tennis Courts Saturday afternoon. USC won singles on the back three courts to take a 3-1 lead before winning the match in three sets on Court 2.
USC (11-9, 6-4) grabbed an early advantage in doubles after the team of Rianna Valdes and Jessica Failla defeated the UCLA (13-7, 7-3) duo of Jada Hart and Terri Fleming, 6-0, on Court 1. UCLA's No. 3 team quickly tied it up, as Ena Shibahara and Kristin Wiley defeated Madison Westby and Angela Kulikov, 6-2. That left the doubles point to be decided on Court 2. Up 5-4, Gabby Andrews and Alaina Miller broke serve to defeat No. 37 Gabby Smith and Zoe Katz, 6-4, clinching the doubles point.
USC claimed the first set on Courts 3-6 in singles before Shibahara won the first set against Failla, 6-4, on Court 1. Fleming also took the first set, 7-6 (4), on Court 2 against Smith. Miller evened up her match on Court 4, taking the second set against Zoe Katz, 6-4, and Hart followed suit, tying it up on Court 3 by winning the second set against Valdes, 6-3.
The Trojans earned the first singles point on Court 5, a 6-2, 6-3 victory by Westby over Andrews. Kulikov quickly followed on Court 6, winning 6-4, 6-2 over Wiley to give USC a 2-1 lead. Katz, on Court 4, gave USC its third point after Katz fought off Miller, 4-6, 6-4, 4-6. All eyes moved to courts 1-3 as USC held a 3-1 advantage.
Hart and Shibahara evened it up within minutes of each other. Hart was first to finish, taking her match on Court 3 over Valdes, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. On Court 1, Shibahara found herself down 3-5 in the second set before winning three straight games to take a 6-5 lead. Failla held serve to take it to a tiebreaker, but Shibahara dominated the tiebreaker, taking the first six points before winning the match, 6-4, 7-6 (2).
It came down to Fleming and Smith on Court 2. Fleming went down a break immediately in the third set and was down 3-5 before holding serve to stay alive. With Smith serving for the match, Fleming took the first two points, but Smith rallied for the next three to get to match point. Fleming won the next point to get to deuce, but USC won the point and the match when Fleming hit a shot wide.
Next up for the Bruins is a trip to Ojai, Calif. for the Pac-12 Championships. Action from the Ojai Valley Athletic Club will begin Wednesday, April 26 and continue through Saturday, April 29. The women's team finals will begin Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and be broadcast by Pac-12 Networks.
Tennis Match Results
USC vs UCLA
Apr 22, 2017 at Los Angeles, CA
(Sunset Canyon Tennis Courts)
#32 USC 4, #22 UCLA 3
Doubles competition
1. Valdes/Failla (USC) def. #25 Hart/Fleming (UCLA) 6-0
2. Andrews/Miller (UCLA) def. #37 Smith/Katz (USC) 6-4
3. Shibahara/Wiley (UCLA) def. #69 Westby/Kulikov (USC) 6-2
Singles competition
1. #3 Ena Shibahara (UCLA) def. #46 Jessica Failla (USC) 6-4, 7-6 (7-2)
2. #27 Gabby Smith (USC) def. Terri Fleming (UCLA) 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-4
3. #120 Jada Hart (UCLA) def. Rianna Valdes (USC) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
4. #121 Zoe Katz (USC) def. Alaina Miller (UCLA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
5. Madison Westby (USC) def. Gabby Andrews (UCLA) 6-2, 6-3
6. Angela Kulikov (USC) def. Kristin Wiley (UCLA) 6-4, 6-2
Match Notes:
USC 11-9; National ranking #32
UCLA 13-7; National ranking #22
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (5,6,4,3,1,2)
T-3:24
Players Mentioned
