The rally spanned eight shots and fourteen seconds.
As an errant shot from her opponent flew out of bounds, Ahmani Guichard began to realize what she had just accomplished.
The junior dropped her racket and dropped to the ground. Her teammates’ cheers vibrated through the desert air.
Guichard covered her face with her hands as though it were a dream.
Then the Bruin bunch reached her, piling on top of the athlete who played hero.
UCLA women’s tennis (18-7, 9-4 Big Ten) defeated No. 16 seed Arizona State (20-6, 11-2 Big 12) 4-3 in the second round of the NCAA championship Saturday at the Whiteman Tennis Center in Tempe, Arizona.
Guichard authored a successful rally to punctuate a 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 win over Zlata Bartanusz and punch the Bruins’ ticket to the Super Regional.
“There was a lot going on,” Guichard said. “When it comes to these matches, it’s always emotional. I was dealing with an injury, so overall I was just happy I was able to bring the team to the next round.”
That injury caused Guichard to shift her serving technique from overhand to underhand, said coach Stella Sampras Webster. And as the third set began Saturday, it became readily apparent that the Bruins’ hopes rested squarely on Guichard’s throbbing arms.
The third set was turbulent.
Guichard raced to a 5-2 start and could begin to taste victory. But Bartanusz responded by winning back-to-back games and placing the pressure back on Guichard. Another game lost, and Guichard risked losing her lead and watching her team’s season end.
“Staying disciplined with my game plan was super important towards the end,” Guichard said. “Sometimes the emotions can get really heightened and you lose focus on what the plan is. In those moments where it really counted, I had to focus on what my game plan was.”
Sophomore Olivia Center, who clinched UCLA’s first round victory over San Diego State on Friday, set the stage for Guichard’s match-clincher on Saturday with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Aiya Nupbay to give the Bruins their third point of the afternoon.
Center, who has won six of her last seven singles matches and holds a 14-6 individual record, said her win against Nupbay was based on strategy and timing.
“What was working was to just stay patient in the point and really build it before trying to end it and go for too much,” Center said. “Every point, I was trying to at least start the point, get into it, and then work my way up into the court.”
UCLA’s victory began with a doubles point victory and freshman Mayu Crossley’s 13th consecutive straight sets win in singles play. The collective group effort was necessary to make winning possible, Sampras Webster said.
But as Guichard wielded her racket in the final games of the third set, the team’s hopes rested solely on an individual endeavor.
“Everyone’s nervous because it’s so close and the stakes were high,” Sampras Webster said. “Everyone was on pins and needles.”
Center said UCLA’s ability to win in tight situations has amplified its confidence and trust as it heads into a clash with the winner of No. 1 seed Georgia versus Charlotte.
Sampras Webster summed up the team’s belief with two declarations.
“We have a shot,” the coach said. “We’re not done.”
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