UCLA
Minnesota
No. 8 UCLA Blanks Minnesota in Opener
January 26, 2019 | Women's Tennis
LOS ANGELES โ The No. 8 UCLA women's tennis team opened its dual-match season with a 4-0 win over visiting Minnesota Saturday, advancing to the ITA Kick-Off Weekend championship match in the process.
It was a big debut for freshman Elysia Bolton, who picked up convincing wins in singles and doubles contests. Alaina Miller also notched wins across both, as did Abi Altick. Altick provided the match's clinching win.
The Bruins will host Loyola Marymount Sunday at 1 p.m. with a berth in next month's ITA National Team Indoor Championship tournament on the line. The Lions defeated FIU 4-0 in an earlier match Saturday.
The doubles point was never in much doubt for the Bruins, who received strong performances on Courts 2 and 3 while the sixth-ranked pair of Gabby Andrews and Ayan Broomfield traded blows with Golden Gophers Cammy Frei and Caitlyn Merzbacher up top.
The newly-formed UCLA tandem of Altick and Bolton needed little time to reach its comfort zone, as it made quick work of Tiffany Huber and Tina Kreinis on Court 2, 6-2. Taylor Johnson followed the lead of her freshman classmate on Court 3, where she teamed with Alaina Miller to double up Minnesota's combination of River Hart and Bita Mancera and clinch the first point of the match.
No. 11 Bolton was unfazed playing on the top singles court, quickly trouncing No. 95 Kreinis with a 6-0 first set. She rode that into a 6-3 second set and the Bruins' second point of the day. Like her teammate, Miller surrendered just three games, posting a 6-1, 6-2 win over Caitlyn Merzbacher on Court 4 to make it 3-0 in quick fashion.
With Courts 3, 5 and 6 in limbo, No. 113 Altick took matters into her own hands as the Bruins' first win of 2019 sat in the crosshairs. Like Bolton and Miller, she would do so in a convincing manner, toppling Tiffany Huber by a 6-2, 6-2 margin to complete the sweep.
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
1,4,2
Players Mentioned
