University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Stella Sampras Webster (right) and Bianca Fernandez)
Photo by: Hritika Chaturvedi
Sampras Webster, Fernandez Earn ITA Southwest Regional Honors
June 12, 2024 | Women's Tennis
TEMPE, Ariz. โ Head coach Stella Sampras Webster and freshman Bianca Fernandez of UCLA women's tennis earned ITA Southwest Regional awards for 2023-24, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) announced Wednesday.
Sampras Webster guided UCLA to the final regular-season championship in Pac-12 history, going 9-1 against conference foes. The Bruins started their season 2-3 and fell to a season-low No. 36 in the Feb. 27 ITA team rankings. They would win 19 of their next 21 matches, though, earning a berth in the NCAA Championships quarterfinal round and climbing to No. 8 nationally. Among those victories were 4-3 decisions at No. 5 Stanford (March 31) and No. 7 Pepperdine (April 11). Individually, Fernandez, Kimmi Hance and Tian Fangran held on to top-100 singles rankings from March 5 through the season's end. UCLA lost the doubles point just three times in 27 contests, collecting the opening point in 21 of its last 22.
Fernandez finished her debut season with a 17-11 singles record, capping the campaign with a trip to the NCAA Championships singles tournament as an alternate. She finished the year at with an ITA singles ranking of No. 83 after twice reaching No. 65. Fernandez made the All-Pac-12 Second Team and collected the conference's Player of the Week honor April 9 after winning all six individual matches she played at Colorado and Utah. Her first action came at the Freeman Memorial Championships in Las Vegas, where she knocked off No. 60 Ayumi Miyamoto of Oklahoma State, No. 96 Janice Tjen of Pepperdine and No. 53 Lucia Peyre of Oklahoma State en route to the Bellagio Draw singles crown.
Sampras Webster has now won four regional Coach of the Year awards. She was previously honored in 2000, 2012 and 2021. Sampras Webster's mentor, Bill Zaima, collected five of the awards (1988-1990, 1995 and 1996). Fernandez joined Tian Fangran (2023), Abbey Forbes (2020), Elysia Bolton (2019), Ena Shibahara (2017), Jennifer Brady (2014), Kyle McPhillips (2013), Robin Anderson (2012), Jackie Carleton (2003), Megan Bradley (2002) and Lauren Fisher (2001) in a long line of UCLA Rookies of the Year.
The national award winners will be announced Thursday.
Sampras Webster guided UCLA to the final regular-season championship in Pac-12 history, going 9-1 against conference foes. The Bruins started their season 2-3 and fell to a season-low No. 36 in the Feb. 27 ITA team rankings. They would win 19 of their next 21 matches, though, earning a berth in the NCAA Championships quarterfinal round and climbing to No. 8 nationally. Among those victories were 4-3 decisions at No. 5 Stanford (March 31) and No. 7 Pepperdine (April 11). Individually, Fernandez, Kimmi Hance and Tian Fangran held on to top-100 singles rankings from March 5 through the season's end. UCLA lost the doubles point just three times in 27 contests, collecting the opening point in 21 of its last 22.
Fernandez finished her debut season with a 17-11 singles record, capping the campaign with a trip to the NCAA Championships singles tournament as an alternate. She finished the year at with an ITA singles ranking of No. 83 after twice reaching No. 65. Fernandez made the All-Pac-12 Second Team and collected the conference's Player of the Week honor April 9 after winning all six individual matches she played at Colorado and Utah. Her first action came at the Freeman Memorial Championships in Las Vegas, where she knocked off No. 60 Ayumi Miyamoto of Oklahoma State, No. 96 Janice Tjen of Pepperdine and No. 53 Lucia Peyre of Oklahoma State en route to the Bellagio Draw singles crown.
Sampras Webster has now won four regional Coach of the Year awards. She was previously honored in 2000, 2012 and 2021. Sampras Webster's mentor, Bill Zaima, collected five of the awards (1988-1990, 1995 and 1996). Fernandez joined Tian Fangran (2023), Abbey Forbes (2020), Elysia Bolton (2019), Ena Shibahara (2017), Jennifer Brady (2014), Kyle McPhillips (2013), Robin Anderson (2012), Jackie Carleton (2003), Megan Bradley (2002) and Lauren Fisher (2001) in a long line of UCLA Rookies of the Year.
The national award winners will be announced Thursday.
Players Mentioned
UCLA W. Tennis Postmatch - Olivia Center & Kate Fakih (Nov. 23, 2024)
Sunday, November 24
Media Availability - Coach Sampras Webster (May 15, 2024)
Thursday, May 16
NCAA First and Second Rounds
Friday, May 03
Postmatch Interviews: Fangran Tian/Rance Brown (May 27, 2023)
Saturday, May 27