This post was updated 9:25 p.m.
The Bruins will compete as a team for the first time this year.
No. 5 UCLA women’s tennis opens the dual-match season at the Los Angeles Tennis Center against Loyola Marymount (0-2) on Tuesday.
“I’m just really excited to see everyone compete together for the first time,” said senior Kimmi Hance.
While the Bruins will be without 2023 NCAA singles champion Tian Fangran – who elected to pursue the professional tour over returning for her junior season in Westwood – coach Stella Sampras Webster said she is excited about UCLA’s two freshmen, who made up the nation’s No. 11 recruiting class.
During the individual season, freshmen Kate Fakih and Olivia Center placed second in the NCAA doubles championship and won the ITA West Sectional doubles championship – earning the country’s No. 4 doubles rank to begin 2025.
Still, Tuesday’s matchup is new territory for Center and Fakih.
“It’s our first home match,” Sampras Webster said. “Especially for the freshmen, it’s a great opportunity for them to just kind of get their nerves out, being the first time they’re competing for UCLA.”
The freshman duo won’t be alone, though. On the doubles side, No. 6 Hance and senior Elise Wagle will compete after becoming runners-up at the ITA All-American Championships in September and the Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year in 2023.
Earlier this month, No. 38 junior Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer was named to the 2025 Big Ten Women’s Tennis Players to Watch List. Lutkemeyer – who won a team-leading 50 matches last season – holds UCLA’s highest singles ranking, followed by No. 41 Fakih and No. 53 Wagle.
“Our upperclassmen are going to be leading us,” Sampras Webster said. “They’ve been with us for three or four years and have got a lot of experience to share with our underclassmen.”
UCLA commands a dominant 21-1 record against LMU since 2000. The two teams last met in February, when the Bruins defeated the Lions 6-1.
LMU fell 7-0 to Arizona State on Saturday. The Lions’ closest loss against the Sun Devils came with No. 32 Stefania Rogozinska-Dzik and Anastasia Bozova on the court – with the pair dropping their doubles set 7-6. The tandem represents the Lions’ only nationally ranked players in singles or doubles.
UCLA returned to a normal training schedule Jan. 13 as the team began its bid for a third NCAA title – the first two coming under Sampras Webster in 2008 and 2014.
But preparing for competition wasn’t the only focus for the Bruins this week.
Supporting former Bruin Caroline Goldberg – who lost her family home in the Los Angeles County fires that have burned over 40,000 acres – came first.
“Hearing her story was very eye-opening,” Sampras Webster said. “It’s just really touching to have her come and see us and just be able to give her a big hug. She’s grown family forever with us.”
Goldberg – who played under Sampras Webster from 2019 to 2023 – and her family visited the team at practice Friday and were received with open arms.
“It was really great to see her,” Hance said. “Hopefully we can get her our first win.”
Matches against LMU begin Tuesday at 1 p.m.
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