Thursday, February 12, 1998
UCLA rallies forehand for shot at nationals
SEASON HOPES: Team bears brunt of injuries, hones key players
for Indiana
By Jared Hummel
Daily Bruin Contributor
Armed with five returning All-Americans and a No. 2 national
ranking, the UCLA women’s tennis team has high aspirations for a
trip to South Bend, Ind., this spring, the site of the 1998
National Championships, and a chance at a national title.
This is a feat that has eluded UCLA women’s tennis teams for the
past 16 seasons.
"Starting the season at No. 2 shows that a lot of coaches have a
lot of respect for our players and our program," UCLA head coach
Stella Sampras said.
"We just need to get all of our players healthy, work together
and peak at the right times, and we have just as good of a chance
(of winning the national title) as anybody else," senior Kelly
Rudolph said.
Despite the high ranking, things have not been easy for the
Bruins early on as they have had to contend with the losses of two
of their All-Americans due to injuries.
Sophomore Amanda Basica, UCLA’s top player, has yet to play this
spring as she is suffering from a strained shoulder.
Sophomore Katia Roubanova has also failed to play this spring,
nursing a stress injury to her foot. However,Roubanova hopes to be
back in the lineup as early as Friday versus USC.
Even without the services of Basica and Roubanova, UCLA has
managed to earn a 3-1 record; their only blemish came on the road
against a tough Arizona State team that entered play ranked eighth
in the nation.
Their early success is a testament to this club’s resiliency and
tremendous team depth. While the typical collegiate tennis team
hopes for three or four strong players, this Bruin team features a
senior who currently boasts an 11-5 overall record (including
pre-season) in Kelly Rudolph, and an athlete considered to be one
of the top incoming freshmen in the country, in Cristina Popescu,
in addition to the five returning All-Americans.
When she fully recovers from injury, Amanda Basica will once
again take the racket at the No. 1 spot – a role she is not new to,
as she played at the top last season on the other coast at the
University of Florida.
Basica did not take long to prove that she was as good as
advertised by earning a No. 4 national ranking this fall. She
impressed the rest of the country by winning the Southern
California Regional, finished with a 10-1 fall tournament record
and was rewarded by being named the ITA National Player of the
Month for November.
"Basica is an elite player – an impact player, and had a great
fall," Sampras said. "There are a lot of expectations for her."
In the absence of Amanda Basica, sophomore and returning
All-American Annica Cooper has quietly led the team in the No. 1
position. She has taken full advantage of this new role by
methodically, yet decisively, eliminating her opponents en route to
a 14-4 overall record and a perfect 4-0 mark in dual match
play.
Teamed up with Basica, Cooper is currently ranked No. 12 in
doubles and will undoubtedly take a respectable position in the
singles rankings, possibly in the top 15, as a result of her
impressive start.
"(Cooper) really stepped up this year – she’s improved a lot,"
Sampras said. "I see her maintaining and continuing to improve and
hopefully feeling more and more confident that she can be ranked in
the top 10 in the country this year … and that she believes in
that."
Cooper is confident in her new role and enjoys the challenge
that playing No. 1 brings.
"I just like the opportunity to play the better players," Cooper
said. "It helps my game a lot more to play more of the top players
and to get into more situations with tougher opponents. It helps me
when I’m thinking about May (the national championships)."
All-American junior Kati Kocsis, who has just begun playing
again after rehabilitating an achilles injury during the fall, has
been competing in the lower three positions so far.
Kocsis, UCLA’s No. 1 player last season, entered play this
season with a No. 10 national singles ranking. She compiled a 23-17
singles record last year and hopes to add stability this season in
a completely different role as an important contributor rather than
the top player.
"It’s great to have (Kocsis) back," Sampras said. "She’s started
off the quarter very strong and I expect her to move up in the
lineup – she’s going to be key for us to do well this year. We need
a player who can step up in a top position and do well."
Every solid team needs a leader who brings experience to the
table; senior co-captain Kelly Rudolph provides this key ingredient
for the Bruins this year.
Rudolph finished 15-4 last spring playing in the No. 4 spot, and
has put together a notable 3-1 record in dual match play so far
this season.
"Kelly has been a great role model for our young players,"
Sampras said. "She’s one of those players who comes to practice on
time everyday, works her butt off and is very consistent."
Although she will most likely not get the opportunity to play in
the top two or three spots, Rudolph has no problem with once again
being a middle of the lineup player, as she will be depended on to
perform just like those who play above her and she provides the
invaluable quality of leadership to a predominantly young team.
"I think my role is kind of the same as last year – one is being
the team leader and also being the solid player," Rudolph said.
"Last year I played (No.) 4, and it was hard because I was one of
the oldest players on the team and playing (No.) 4 instead of one
through three, and it’s happening again. So I see myself as the
solid player and always trying to win my point."
While on the issue of consistency and solidity, sophomore
co-captain and returning doubles All-American Elizabeth Schmidt
cannot be left out.
Schmidt was ranked No. 7 in the preseason polls in doubles and
No. 28 in singles. She has performed admirably so far this season
as she has compiled a 2-2 record in the very competitive No. 2
spot.
"Elizabeth is probably the hardest worker on our team," Sampras
said. "I have a lot of confidence in her work ethic and her
strength; she’s going to come through and get better. I think the
biggest thing for her is her confidence. When she gets a couple of
matches under her belt and she gets a little more confident with
her game she’s going to win a lot of matches."
The talent and depth is there. It is now a matter of putting it
to use and overcoming the adversity of the injuries. The long and
difficult road to South Bend has no empathy for injuries or
setbacks. However, with the overflowing confidence of this Bruin
team, it is not likely that any of its members need any
compassion.
DERRICK KUDO
Elizabeth Schmidt was ranked No. 28 in the preseason polls.
DERRICK KUDO
Annica Cooper
DERRICK KUDO
Kelly Rudolph is considered one of the top incoming freshmen in
the country.