Thursday, January 23, 1997
W. TENNIS:
Freshmen players have ample experience to top lineupBy Christie
DeBeau
Daily Bruin Contributor
The UCLA women’s tennis team has a new look this year.
For one, they are led by a new head coach, Stella Sampras. The
top players from last season (Keri Phebus, Paige Yaroshuk and
Stephanie Chi), are all gone  leaving the Bruins with a new
lineup, one comprised primarily of underclassmen.
Bruin fans should not worry though, these players may be young,
but are by no means newcomers to the court.
"We have some great freshmen who will probably play at the top
of our lineup," Sampras said. "They may not have the experience
that a lot of these players from other schools have, but they are
very talented and mature young ladies."
One of these talented young women is Kati Kocsis, a sophomore
transfer, who begins the 1997 season at No. 1 for UCLA. She opened
the fall season as one of four Bruins competing in the Milwaukee
Tennis Classic. Kocsis lived up to her top seed and swept through
the tournament for the title.
"I expect a lot of leadership from (Kocsis), being able to hold
her ground and win at No. 1," Sampras said.
Freshman Elizabeth Schmidt will also be playing a key role after
having a great Fall Quarter. Posting a record of 11-3, Schmidt
reached the main draw of the Riviera All-American Championships and
advanced to the round of 16 in the Rolex West Regional. She is tied
for 29th in the fall national rankings.
Annica Cooper, another freshman who will be playing high on
UCLA’s ladder, reached the finals of the Rolex West Regional during
fall action. In the Pac-10 Indoor Championships, she defeated
fellow Bruin Kelly Rudolph in the finals to win the title.
Returning junior Rudolph will be the captain for the 1996-97
season. Her preseason national ranking for doubles with Schmidt was
43rd.
"I expect a lot of leadership out of Kelly Rudolph," said
Sampras. "She has the most experience out of our top six players. I
expect her to lead the team."
Freshman Katia Roubanova joined the team this month, just
arriving from England. Her place in this season’s lineup is yet to
be determined.
"She has not played a lot of college tennis," Sampras said. "I
don’t know exactly where she will be playing."
With the many new youthful additions to the team, the Bruins
will most likely get progressively better as the season
continues.
"In the beginning they may lose a few matches.," Sampras said.
"They are young in age, but in experience and what they have done
in the juniors, they have a lot of experience under their
belt."
JON FERREY
Annica Cooper is one of the top freshmen in the nation.