College Tennis News - UCLA Bruins Reach Another ITA Indoor Final

Pictured: #96 Pamela Montez (UCLA) def. #54 Kate Fuller (UGA) 6-4, 6-3

Charlottesville, Va. - The top-seeded UCLA women's tennis team booked its spot in the title match at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoors for the second year in a row on Sunday afternoon, as the Bruins downed fourth-seeded Georgia, 4-1 at the Boar's Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Va. With the win, UCLA improves to 6-0 on the season and will meet the winner of second-seeded Duke and sixth-seeded North Carolina on Monday at 11:00 a.m. (EST).

Sunday's doubles point was as close as they come, with the Bruins needing to pull out a tiebreaker at court No. 3 to secure the point. After Georgia notched an 8-4 victory at court No. 1, the Bruins answered right back when Courtney Dolehide and Pamela Montez were 8-5 winners at court No. 2. Freshmen Kyle McPhillips and Catherine Harrison would lock up the doubles point for UCLA, as the Bruin duo edged Lauren Herring and Mia King, 8-7(6) at court No. 3.

UCLA started strong in singles action, winning four of six first sets. In fact, the Bruins would take a pair of straight-set victories to move out to a 3-0 lead in the match. Like she did in doubles, Harrison came up big in singles, downing King, 6-4, 6-0 at court No. 5 to put UCLA up 2-0. Dolehide also rolled in her second set, beating Makenzie Craft, 6-3, 6-0 at court No. 6 to put the Bruins on the edge of victory.

Facing defeat, Georgia (4-1) would get on the board and cut the lead to 3-1 when Silvia Garcia downed Bruin sophomore Chanelle Van Nguyen, 6-1, 6-4 at court No. 4. Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the momentum didn't last long, as Montez clinched the victory for UCLA with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Kate Fuller at court No. 3.

Two singles matches were suspended once UCLA clinched the win. In a battle of top 10 opponents at court No. 1, sixth-ranked Robin Anderson led eighth-ranked Herring, 6-3, 4-6, 3-1. McPhillips led Georgia's Maho Kowase, 0-6, 6-3, 3-2 at court No. 2.

If UCLA meets Duke it will mark the second year in a row that the two teams will play in the final. The Bruins defeated the Blue Devils, 4-0 to claim the championship in 2012.

USTA/ITA National Team Indoors

#2 UCLA 4, #6 Georgia 1

Feb 10, 2013 at Charlottesville, VA (Boar's Head Sports Club)

Doubles

1. Fuller/Garcia (UGA) def. #16 Anderson/Skylar Morton (UCLA) 8-4

2. Dolehide/Montez (UCLA) def. #22 Lilly Kimbell/Kowase (UGA) 8-5

3. Harrison/McPhillips (UCLA) def. Herring/King (UGA) 8-7 (8-6)

UCLA Wins Doubles Point

Singles

1. #6 Robin Anderson (UCLA) vs. #8 Lauren Herring (UGA) 6-3, 4-6, 3-1, unfinished

2. #47 Kyle McPhillips (UCLA) vs. #18 Maho Kowase (UGA) 0-6, 6-3, 3-2, unfinished

3. #96 Pamela Montez (UCLA) def. #54 Kate Fuller (UGA) 6-4, 6-3

4. Silvia Garcia (UGA) def. Chanelle Van Nguyen (UCLA) 6-1, 6-4

5. Catherine Harrison (UCLA) def. Mia King (UGA) 6-4, 6-0

6. Courtney Dolehide (UCLA) def. Makenzie Craft (UGA) 6-3, 6-0

Match Notes

Georgia 4-1; National ranking #6

UCLA 6-0; National ranking #2

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (5,6,4,3)