STILLWATER, Okla. – The No. 8 UCLA women's tennis team posted a convincing win in its road debut, defeating No. 9 Oklahoma State 4-1 at Greenwood Tennis Center.
Freshman Elysia Bolton picked up her second clinching victory in three matches for UCLA (3-0). The Bruins shined in doubles play to get on the board and Abi Altick and Alaina Miller posted singles wins after Cowgirl retirements to round out their scoring. Catherine Gulihar notched the lone win for Oklahoma State (4-2).
UCLA brought energy befitting a top-10 road matchup, jumping out to 3-0 leads across the doubles courts. Oklahoma State's top-court pair of 28th-ranked Sofia Blanco and Catherine Gulihar briefly got back into its match against No. 6 Gabby Andrews-Ayan Broomfield, but the Bruins took the final three games to pick up the first win of the day and the duo's first of the dual-match season.
On Court 2, No. 12 Bolton and Jada Hart of the Bruins sprinted out to a 5-0 advantage over Marina Guinart and Lisa Marie Rioux. While the Cowgirls did not go quietly in securing the next three games, Bolton-Hart finished things off with the point-clinching win.
In the only ranked matchup of the afternoon, No. 113 Abi Altick of UCLA won five of seven games from No. 40 Marina Guinart before the Cowgirl senior was forced to retire. The Bruins took three of the five remaining first sets to keep momentum on their side.
Gulihar cut the Bruin lead in half with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Johnson on Court 6 and the Cowgirls seemed primed to knot matters up with a decided edge on Court 5, where Blanco nearly blanked Miller in the opening set and held a 4-1 second-set advantage.
The tables quickly turned, however, as Miller claimed the next five games and the set. After the Bruin senior continued her spree with two more unanswered games in the third frame, Blanco retired to increase the UCLA lead to 3-1.
Despite first-set wins on Court 1, 2 and 3, UCLA was locked in battles across the board. With Broomfield nearing a third set and Hart going trading shots with No. 21 Katarina Stresnakova, No. 11 Bolton once again came up big for the Bruins. Bolton's forehand was too hot for Bunyawi Thamchaiwat to handle, as the Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. native matched her 3-0 doubles record with a 3-0 singles mark.
The Bruins will return to action tomorrow, when they pay a visit to Tulsa. Play from the Michael D. Case Tennis Center will begin at 9 a.m., PT.
Tennis Match Results
UCLA vs Oklahoma State
2/2/2019 at Stillwater, OK
(Greenwood Tennis Center)
#8 UCLA 4, #9 Oklahoma State 1
Singles competition
1. #21 Katarina Stresnakova (OKST) vs. Jada Hart (UCLA) 5-7, 3-4, unfinished
2. #11 Elysia Bolton (UCLA) def. Bunyawi Thamchaiwat (OKST) 7-5, 6-4
3. Lisa Marie Rioux (OKST) vs. Ayan Broomfield (UCLA) 3-6, 5-2, unfinished
4. #110 Abi Altick (UCLA) def. Marina Guinart (OKST) 5-2, retired
5. Alaina Miller (UCLA) def. Sofia Blanco (OKST) 1-6, 6-4, 2-0, retired
6. Catherine Gulihur (OKST) def. Taylor Johnson (UCLA) 6-3, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #6 Andrews/Broomfield (UCLA) def. #28 Blanco/Gulihur (OKST) 6-2
2. #12 Bolton/Hart (UCLA) def. Guinart/Rioux (OKST) 6-3
3. Arnold/Thamchaiwat (OKST) vs. Johnson/Miller (UCLA) 4-4, unfinished
Match Notes:
UCLA 3-0; National ranking #8
Oklahoma State 4-2; National ranking #9
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2); Singles (4,6,5,2)