The #69 UCSB women’s tennis team traveled down south to Westwood looking to upset #12 UCLA. However, the Gauchos were outmatched, getting swept 7-0 in their first match of the 2006 season.
The singles portion of the match proceeded smoothly for the Bruins, defeating every UCSB player in two straight sets. UCLA did not allow any Gaucho to score more than four points in the singles matches.
UCLA sophomore #1 singles player Riza Zalameda defeated senior Marielle Gruenig 6-3, 6-4. Although she has just one year of collegiate experience, Zalameda was one of six players chosen to travel and play with the USA Tennis Summer Collegiate Team in the summer of 2005, capturing the singles and doubles titles in the Philippines. Zalameda also advanced to the semifinals of the 2005 NCAA National Championship.
Junior Kristen Wilson filled in for senior Mio Fukushima at #6 singles and was defeated by UCLA freshman Ashley Joelson, who is ranked 99th nationally, 6-2, 6-2.
On the doubles side of the match, the UCLA #1 doubles tandem of Zalameda and senior Laura Gordon, who is ranked 94th nationally in singles, defeated UCSB’s Gruenig and senior Chelsea Glynn 8-3. In #2 doubles, senior Andrea Pintar and sophomore Charlotte Scatliffe gave the UCLA team of junior Alex McGoodwin and sophomore Tracy Lin a tough time. Pintar and Scatliffe forced the game into extra points before McGoodwin and Lin took the match 9-8. Pintar and Scatliffe were the only Gauchos to score more than four points in a game during the match.
The Bruins sealed the match with a win from Johnson and sophomore Elizabeth Lumpkin over Wilson and senior Leslie Damion, handing UCSB its first loss of the season.
Santa Barbara’s road trip continues this weekend when the Gauchos travel to the Central Valley to face #46 Fresno State, ranked 46th nationally.
The Bulldogs are four-time Western Athletic Conference (WAC) champions and boast a two time All-Conference player in senior Katharina Winterhalter. Winterhalter and senior doubles partner Lucia Sainz are the fourth ranked pair in the nation.
The Fresno State match is slated to start at 9 a.m. on Saturday.
