The UCLA women’s tennis team defeated San Diego State 4-3 in the NCAA Championship first round at Whiteman Tennis Center in Tempe, Ariz., on May 1. Olivia Center secured the deciding point for the Bruins after a four-hour match.
This win allows UCLA, now with a record of 17-7, to advance further in the tournament. The team came from behind, never leading until the final point. The comeback was led by Ahmani Guichard, Bianca Fernandez, and Center on the lower singles courts.
San Diego State took an early lead by winning the doubles point with victories on Courts 1 and 3. In singles play, Gloria Alogo and Jo-Yee Chan contributed wins for San Diego State while Mayu Crossley quickly tied up the score for UCLA with a straight-set victory against Ninon Martinache.
After falling behind again due to losses on Courts 1 and 3, UCLA’s Guichard managed to hold off Teja Tirunelveli in three sets before Fernandez evened up the overall score with her own three-set win over Jayna Clemens. With all eyes on Court 5, Center overcame an initial deficit to clinch both her match and UCLA’s overall victory by defeating Vesa Gjinaj.
With this result, UCLA will face No.16 seed Arizona State in Saturday’s second round of play at noon Pacific Time. Arizona State advanced after beating Denver earlier that day.
