Wednesday, April 16
Los Angeles, Calif.
1:00 PM
UCLA
vs
USC
Kimmi Hance (left) and Elise Wagle
Photo by: Hritika Chaturvedi
Women's Tennis Hosts USC to Start Final Week of Regular Season
April 15, 2025 | Women's Tennis
Back in the top 20 of the ITA team rankings for the first time since Jan. 29, the No. 19 UCLA women's tennis team brings a five-match winnings streak into the final week of regular-season action. It all starts Wednesday, when crosstown rival and 16th-ranked USC (13-5, 7-3) visits Los Angeles Tennis Center for a 1 p.m. PT Big Ten Conference showdown. League-mate Maryland (14-9, 7-4) then checks in Friday at 1 p.m. PT. The Bruins (12-7, 7-3) then complete their regular-season Saturday against Rutgers (7-12, 1-10). Seniors Kimmi Hance and Elise Wagle will be honored prior to Saturday's contest.
Wednesday's rivalry clash will also represent UCLA's annual GolDEN Match, with the UCLA Bruin Marching Band set appear. Free pizza will also be distributed to the first 150 fans after doubles play concludes.
FOLLOW LIVE
Fans unable to attend home UCLA women's tennis matches can still follow live. Up-to-the-second scoring and streaming are available for all matches played at Los Angeles Tennis Center HERE.
Additionally, in-match updates for home and road contests can be found on the UCLA women's tennis X account.
PAST MATCHUPS
Series vs. USC: UCLA leads 62-53
Most Recent vs. USC: USC won 4-3 at David X. Marks Tennis Stadium on March 7 (Recap)
Series vs. Maryland: First meeting
Series vs. Rutgers: First meeting
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA earned a sweep on its final road trip of the regular season, outlasting Iowa in a 4-2 result (April 11) before sweeping Nebraska (April 13). Kimmi Hance earned a three-set win to seal the opener. She also had a hand in clinching the doubles point. Two days later, Olivia Center and Kate Fakih dug themselves out of a 3-5 hole to win the deciding doubles match by a 7-5 score. Fakih and Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer each had two straight-set singles victories on the trip. Ahmani Guichard also picked up a singles win at Nebraska.
IN THE RANKINGS
Team (April 15): No. 19 UCLA
Singles (April 15): No. 26 Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, No. 41 Kate Fakih, No. 63 Elise Wagle, No. 106 Kimmi Hance
Doubles (April 15): No. 6 Olivia Center/Kate Fakih, No. 18 Kimmi Hance/Elise Wagle
* - set or matched career high
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Seniors Kimmi Hance (Torrance, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) and Elise Wagle (Niskayuna, N.Y./Laurel Springs School) are set to play in their final regular-season matches as Bruins. Hance and Wagle teamed to earn the Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year award in 2023 and each collected All-America recognition. Wagle repeated both accomplishments in 2024 while partnered with Tian Fangran. Hance made her NCAA singles tournament debut in the spring of 2024 and Wagle followed in her footsteps this past fall. Hance qualified on the doubles side twice, while Wagle has made the cut four times with three different partners (including Hance in fall 2024 and 2023). As a pair, Hance/Wagle has climbed as high as No. 4 in the ITA doubles rankings (April 25, 2023). Each has eclipsed the 100-win mark across singles and doubles matches, with Wagle sitting at 133 (61-35 singles, 72-32 doubles) and Hance checking in with 127 (56-37 singles, 71-24 doubles).
UCLAccolades
Lutkemeyer Named Big Ten Player of the Week for Second Time โ April 9
Fakih Earns Fourth Big Ten Freshman of the Week Award โ April 9
Fakih Voted Big Ten Freshman of the Week Once Again โ March 5
Fakih Picks Up Fourth Big Ten Weekly Award โ Feb. 12
Wagle Voted Big Ten Player of the Week โ Feb. 5
Fakih Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week โ Jan. 29
Lutkemeyer Named to Big Ten Women's Tennis Player to Watch List โ Jan. 6
Lutkemeyer Tabbed Big Ten Player of the Week โ Nov. 13, 2024
Fakih Named Big Ten Player of the Week for Second Time โ Oct. 23, 2024
Fakih Named Big Ten Player of the Week โ Sept. 25, 2024
FALL RECAP
Bruins were in action at five fall tournaments, culminating with the first-ever fall NCAA individual championships. Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer beat teammate Kate Fakih in the ITA West Sectional Championships singles final. Elise Wagle reached the semifinals. All three players qualified for NCAAs with their performances. The all-freshman combination of Fakih and Olivia Center collected the doubles title, earning another berth. Kimmi Hance and Elise Wagle started the campaign with a strong showing at the ITA All-American Championships, achieving runner-up status in the doubles field for an NCAA spot of their own. Center and Fakih would go on a run at NCAAs, beating three nationally-ranked pairs en route to the title match. The duo ultimately fell in a third-set tiebreaker, but finished the fall with a 14-3 record (9-3 against ranked teams). Fakih also went 14-5 in singles play, while Lutkemeyer posted a 13-4 mark. Lutkemeyer and Guichard teamed to go 12-4 in doubles contests.
2023-24 IN REVIEW
UCLA went 21-6, reaching the NCAA Championships quarterfinal round. The Bruins recorded a 9-1 record in Pac-12 Conference play, to earn the final regular-season league title. The would clinch the crown with a 4-2 victory at 11th-ranked USC. UCLA knocked off five top-10 foes throughout the campaign: No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Pepperdine, No. 8 USC and No. 9 Texas. The tandem of Tian Fangran and Elise Wagle was named the Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year. Tian and Kimmi Hance received All-Pac-12 First Team honors. Bianca Fernandez was on the second team, while Ahmani Guichard and Elise Wagle made the honorable-mention list. Head coach Stella Sampras Webster was named the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Coach of the Year and Fernandez picked up the region's rookie-of-the-year award. Fernandez, Hance and Tian/Wagle competed at the NCAA Championships individual event. Guichard (20-10) and Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (20-8) tied for the team lead with 20 singles wins, while Lutkemeyer (30-4) piled up a team-best 30 doubles victories.
WHO'S BACK?
UCLA returns its most frequent participants on singles courts 2-6, including All-Pac-12 honorees Bianca Fernandez, Ahmani Guichard, Kimmi Hance and Elise Wagle. ITA Southwest Regional Rookie of the Year Fernandez had a team-high 14 dual-match singles wins and made the NCAA singles field with Hance. Double-digit singles winners in addition to Fernandez returning for the Bruins are Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (13), Guichard (12), Wagle (11), and Hance (10). Lutkemeyer (21), Hance (18), Guichard (16) and Wagle (14) each bring at least 14 doubles victories from the 2023-24 season.
WHO'S NEW?
Freshmen Olivia Center (South Pasadena, Calif./San Marino HS) and Kate Fakih (Pasadena, Calif./Connections Academy) are new to UCLA for 2024-25. Frequent doubles partners throughout their junior careers, the Tennis Recruiting Network Blue Chip prospects teamed to gain entry into the US Open women's doubles main draw by capturing the Girls' 18 title at the 2023 USTA Billie Jean King National Championships in San Diego. Center also paired with Sophia Webster to claim the Girls' 18 doubles championship at the 2014 Easter Bowl in San Diego. Fakih qualified for the girls' draws at the Australian Open (singles, doubles), French Open (doubles) and US Open (singles, doubles) events in 2024.
SHIBAHARA SHINES
Ena Shibahara, who played for UCLA during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, has starred in doubles tournaments throughout her professional career and saw her career-high singles ranking rise from No. 503 to No. 132 in 2024. She earned her first Grand Slam championship in 2022, teaming with Wesley Koolhof to seize the mixed doubles title at Roland-Garros. Shibahara made her first major women's doubles final round alongside Shuko Aoyama at the 2023 Australian Open. Shibahara/Aoyama was the last pair standing at the 2023 National Bank Open in Toronto, giving each player her second WTA 1000 championship. Shibahara climbed to a career-best No. 4 position in the WTA's doubles rankings in March 2022 and entered 2025 at No. 46. She made her Grand Slam singles debut at the 2024 US Open, reaching the main draw as a qualifier before taking down Australia's Daria Saville in three sets. Shibahara went on to represent Japan at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup and made the most of her opportunity, beating then-No. 73 Jacqueline Cristian of Romania and then-No. 54 Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy.
STELLA'S STELLAR RÉSUMÉ
Head coach Stella Sampras Webster is in her 29th season at the helm of the UCLA women's tennis program, compiling an impressive overall record of 536-199 (.729). She is the second-longest-tenured active coach at UCLA, behind men's tennis head coach Billy Martin. Sampras Webster collected the 500th win of her illustrious career when the Bruins defeated UC San Diego on April 18, 2023. She has guided her alma mater to NCAA championships in 2014 and 2008, the first two in program history, and all three of its Pac-12 regular-season titles in 2024, 2021 and 2008. Sampras Webster's teams have finished top-10 nationally in 23 of her 27 completed seasons and in the top five 16 times. Four NCAA individual championships have been won under her watch: Tian Fangran in 2023, Gabby Andrews/Ayan Broomfield in 2019, Tracy Lin/Riza Zalameda in 2008 and Daniela Bercek/Lauren Fisher in 2004. Sampras Webster is a four-time Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Coach of the Year โ in 2024, 2021, 2012 and 2000 โ earned the national award in 2012. She was a four-time All-America honoree during her playing days at UCLA and as a freshman won the 1988 NCAA doubles title alongside Allyson Cooper.
Wednesday's rivalry clash will also represent UCLA's annual GolDEN Match, with the UCLA Bruin Marching Band set appear. Free pizza will also be distributed to the first 150 fans after doubles play concludes.
FOLLOW LIVE
Fans unable to attend home UCLA women's tennis matches can still follow live. Up-to-the-second scoring and streaming are available for all matches played at Los Angeles Tennis Center HERE.
Additionally, in-match updates for home and road contests can be found on the UCLA women's tennis X account.
PAST MATCHUPS
Series vs. USC: UCLA leads 62-53
Most Recent vs. USC: USC won 4-3 at David X. Marks Tennis Stadium on March 7 (Recap)
Series vs. Maryland: First meeting
Series vs. Rutgers: First meeting
LAST TIME OUT
UCLA earned a sweep on its final road trip of the regular season, outlasting Iowa in a 4-2 result (April 11) before sweeping Nebraska (April 13). Kimmi Hance earned a three-set win to seal the opener. She also had a hand in clinching the doubles point. Two days later, Olivia Center and Kate Fakih dug themselves out of a 3-5 hole to win the deciding doubles match by a 7-5 score. Fakih and Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer each had two straight-set singles victories on the trip. Ahmani Guichard also picked up a singles win at Nebraska.
IN THE RANKINGS
Team (April 15): No. 19 UCLA
Singles (April 15): No. 26 Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, No. 41 Kate Fakih, No. 63 Elise Wagle, No. 106 Kimmi Hance
Doubles (April 15): No. 6 Olivia Center/Kate Fakih, No. 18 Kimmi Hance/Elise Wagle
* - set or matched career high
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
Seniors Kimmi Hance (Torrance, Calif./Palos Verdes Peninsula HS) and Elise Wagle (Niskayuna, N.Y./Laurel Springs School) are set to play in their final regular-season matches as Bruins. Hance and Wagle teamed to earn the Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year award in 2023 and each collected All-America recognition. Wagle repeated both accomplishments in 2024 while partnered with Tian Fangran. Hance made her NCAA singles tournament debut in the spring of 2024 and Wagle followed in her footsteps this past fall. Hance qualified on the doubles side twice, while Wagle has made the cut four times with three different partners (including Hance in fall 2024 and 2023). As a pair, Hance/Wagle has climbed as high as No. 4 in the ITA doubles rankings (April 25, 2023). Each has eclipsed the 100-win mark across singles and doubles matches, with Wagle sitting at 133 (61-35 singles, 72-32 doubles) and Hance checking in with 127 (56-37 singles, 71-24 doubles).
UCLAccolades
Lutkemeyer Named Big Ten Player of the Week for Second Time โ April 9
Fakih Earns Fourth Big Ten Freshman of the Week Award โ April 9
Fakih Voted Big Ten Freshman of the Week Once Again โ March 5
Fakih Picks Up Fourth Big Ten Weekly Award โ Feb. 12
Wagle Voted Big Ten Player of the Week โ Feb. 5
Fakih Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week โ Jan. 29
Lutkemeyer Named to Big Ten Women's Tennis Player to Watch List โ Jan. 6
Lutkemeyer Tabbed Big Ten Player of the Week โ Nov. 13, 2024
Fakih Named Big Ten Player of the Week for Second Time โ Oct. 23, 2024
Fakih Named Big Ten Player of the Week โ Sept. 25, 2024
FALL RECAP
Bruins were in action at five fall tournaments, culminating with the first-ever fall NCAA individual championships. Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer beat teammate Kate Fakih in the ITA West Sectional Championships singles final. Elise Wagle reached the semifinals. All three players qualified for NCAAs with their performances. The all-freshman combination of Fakih and Olivia Center collected the doubles title, earning another berth. Kimmi Hance and Elise Wagle started the campaign with a strong showing at the ITA All-American Championships, achieving runner-up status in the doubles field for an NCAA spot of their own. Center and Fakih would go on a run at NCAAs, beating three nationally-ranked pairs en route to the title match. The duo ultimately fell in a third-set tiebreaker, but finished the fall with a 14-3 record (9-3 against ranked teams). Fakih also went 14-5 in singles play, while Lutkemeyer posted a 13-4 mark. Lutkemeyer and Guichard teamed to go 12-4 in doubles contests.
2023-24 IN REVIEW
UCLA went 21-6, reaching the NCAA Championships quarterfinal round. The Bruins recorded a 9-1 record in Pac-12 Conference play, to earn the final regular-season league title. The would clinch the crown with a 4-2 victory at 11th-ranked USC. UCLA knocked off five top-10 foes throughout the campaign: No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Pepperdine, No. 8 USC and No. 9 Texas. The tandem of Tian Fangran and Elise Wagle was named the Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year. Tian and Kimmi Hance received All-Pac-12 First Team honors. Bianca Fernandez was on the second team, while Ahmani Guichard and Elise Wagle made the honorable-mention list. Head coach Stella Sampras Webster was named the Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Coach of the Year and Fernandez picked up the region's rookie-of-the-year award. Fernandez, Hance and Tian/Wagle competed at the NCAA Championships individual event. Guichard (20-10) and Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (20-8) tied for the team lead with 20 singles wins, while Lutkemeyer (30-4) piled up a team-best 30 doubles victories.
WHO'S BACK?
UCLA returns its most frequent participants on singles courts 2-6, including All-Pac-12 honorees Bianca Fernandez, Ahmani Guichard, Kimmi Hance and Elise Wagle. ITA Southwest Regional Rookie of the Year Fernandez had a team-high 14 dual-match singles wins and made the NCAA singles field with Hance. Double-digit singles winners in addition to Fernandez returning for the Bruins are Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (13), Guichard (12), Wagle (11), and Hance (10). Lutkemeyer (21), Hance (18), Guichard (16) and Wagle (14) each bring at least 14 doubles victories from the 2023-24 season.
WHO'S NEW?
Freshmen Olivia Center (South Pasadena, Calif./San Marino HS) and Kate Fakih (Pasadena, Calif./Connections Academy) are new to UCLA for 2024-25. Frequent doubles partners throughout their junior careers, the Tennis Recruiting Network Blue Chip prospects teamed to gain entry into the US Open women's doubles main draw by capturing the Girls' 18 title at the 2023 USTA Billie Jean King National Championships in San Diego. Center also paired with Sophia Webster to claim the Girls' 18 doubles championship at the 2014 Easter Bowl in San Diego. Fakih qualified for the girls' draws at the Australian Open (singles, doubles), French Open (doubles) and US Open (singles, doubles) events in 2024.
SHIBAHARA SHINES
Ena Shibahara, who played for UCLA during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, has starred in doubles tournaments throughout her professional career and saw her career-high singles ranking rise from No. 503 to No. 132 in 2024. She earned her first Grand Slam championship in 2022, teaming with Wesley Koolhof to seize the mixed doubles title at Roland-Garros. Shibahara made her first major women's doubles final round alongside Shuko Aoyama at the 2023 Australian Open. Shibahara/Aoyama was the last pair standing at the 2023 National Bank Open in Toronto, giving each player her second WTA 1000 championship. Shibahara climbed to a career-best No. 4 position in the WTA's doubles rankings in March 2022 and entered 2025 at No. 46. She made her Grand Slam singles debut at the 2024 US Open, reaching the main draw as a qualifier before taking down Australia's Daria Saville in three sets. Shibahara went on to represent Japan at the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup and made the most of her opportunity, beating then-No. 73 Jacqueline Cristian of Romania and then-No. 54 Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy.
STELLA'S STELLAR RÉSUMÉ
Head coach Stella Sampras Webster is in her 29th season at the helm of the UCLA women's tennis program, compiling an impressive overall record of 536-199 (.729). She is the second-longest-tenured active coach at UCLA, behind men's tennis head coach Billy Martin. Sampras Webster collected the 500th win of her illustrious career when the Bruins defeated UC San Diego on April 18, 2023. She has guided her alma mater to NCAA championships in 2014 and 2008, the first two in program history, and all three of its Pac-12 regular-season titles in 2024, 2021 and 2008. Sampras Webster's teams have finished top-10 nationally in 23 of her 27 completed seasons and in the top five 16 times. Four NCAA individual championships have been won under her watch: Tian Fangran in 2023, Gabby Andrews/Ayan Broomfield in 2019, Tracy Lin/Riza Zalameda in 2008 and Daniela Bercek/Lauren Fisher in 2004. Sampras Webster is a four-time Wilson ITA Southwest Regional Coach of the Year โ in 2024, 2021, 2012 and 2000 โ earned the national award in 2012. She was a four-time All-America honoree during her playing days at UCLA and as a freshman won the 1988 NCAA doubles title alongside Allyson Cooper.
Players Mentioned
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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