UCLA
UC Santa Barbara (First Round)
Bruins Blank Gauchos, Move On in NCAAs
May 12, 2017 | Women's Tennis
MALIBU, Calif. – The UCLA women's tennis team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships Friday, as it blanked UC Santa Barbara, 4-0, in the morning match at the Pepperdine Regional. Terri Fleming clinched the overall win for the Bruins, who move on to face 12th-seeded Pepperdine at Noon on Saturday.
While the Bruins' top doubles team of No. 32 Jada Hart and Fleming had its hands full with No. 66 Palina Dubavets and Stefani Stojic on Court 1, Courts 2 and 3 stepped up with resounding victories for UCLA. First to finish was the team of Ena Shibahara and Kristin Wiley, which was coming off its first loss of the year at Pac-12 Championships. The pair recovered to handle Stephani Yamada and Natalie Da Silveira of UCSB, 6-1. Then, not long after, the duo of Gabby Andrews and Alaina Miller topped Amanda Atanasson and Melissa Baker on Court 2, 6-2, to clinch the doubles point.
Four of six Bruins lost their opening sets as the Gauchos looked poised for a run in singles play. A Bruin was first to finish, however, as Shibahara capped off her short day with a straight-set win in singles over Dubavets, 6-3, 6-4, to push the lead to 2-0. Miller recovered from her first-set loss to move past Stojic on Court 4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and put the Gauchos on the brink of elimination. Ultimately, it was Fleming who did the job, as the junior built off a tiebreak win in the first set on Court 2 to bury Da Silveira and the Gauchos, 7-6 (6), 6-2.
Pepperdine defeated UCLA, 5-2 earlier this season (Feb. 26). The Bruins hold a 54-15 all-time record against the Waves.
Tennis Match Results
UC Santa Barbara vs UCLA
May 12, 2017 at Malibu, CA
(Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center)
#23 UCLA 4, #47 UC Santa Barbara 0
Doubles competition
1. #32 Hart/Fleming (UCLA) vs. No. 66 Dubavets/Stojic (UCSB) 4-4, unfinished
2. #58 Andrews/Miller (UCLA) def. Atanasson/Baker (UCSB) 6-2
3. Shibahara/Wiley (UCLA) def. Yamada/Da Silveira (UCSB) 6-1
Singles competition
1. #5 Ena Shibahara (UCLA) def. Palina Dubavets (UCSB) 6-3, 6-4
2. Terri Fleming (UCLA) def. Natalie Da Silveira (UCSB) 7-6 (6), 6-2
3. Jada Hart (UCLA) def. Jaimee Gilbertson (UCSB) 4-6, 6-3, 0-2, unfinished
4. Alaina Miller (UCLA) def. Stefani Stojic (UCSB) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Gabby Andrews (UCLA) vs. Amanda Atanasson (UCSB) 4-6, 6-2, 3-1, unfinished
6. Kristin Wiley (UCLA) vs. Melissa Baker (UCSB) 1-6, 6-4, 2-2, unfinished
Match Notes:
UC Santa Barbara 17-10; National rankings #47
UCLA 14-8; National ranking #23
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (1,4,2)
Players Mentioned
