With two Big Ten weekly awards under their belts and an Iowa sunset painting the sky, the Bruins assembled on the courts of the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Complex to face a Midwest conference opponent for the very first time in program history.
They commemorated the inaugural series versus the University of Iowa with a 4-2 triumph, improving their win streak to four – their longest of the season.
Third-year Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer and second-year Ahmani Guichard bettered a record of their own to kick off the day: They earned their eighth consecutive doubles victory on court three, defeating Hawkeyes fourth-year Barbora Pokorna and third-year Pia Kranholdt 6-2.
Court one – occupied by UCLA fourth years Kimmi Hance and Elise Wagle – wasn’t far behind, with the standout pairing posting a score of 6-4 to overcome third years Tereza Dejnozkova and Nikita Vishwase. Hance and Wagle’s successful showing clinched the doubles point for the Bruins, freeing first-years Kate Fakih and Olivia Center from a losing match versus third-year Daianne Hayashida and fourth-year Marisa Schmidt.
But Fakih bounced back in her matchup with Pokorna with the first blue-and-gold singles win of the series. The Big Ten Freshman of the Week bested the fourth year 6-1, 6-2.
Next in line was another conference honoree: Big Ten Player of the Week Lutkemeyer, who rallied to defeat Dejnozkova on court one 6-2, 7-5.
Courts five and six, however, struggled to replicate the Bruins’ preceding successes. Guichard and second-year Bianca Fernandez dropped their matches against Kranholdt and Vishwase, respectively, setting in motion a chance for Iowa to close the gap and tie the game.
With a score of 3-2, a Hawkeyes comeback wasn’t all that improbable.
Luckily, UCLA was redeemed by Hance, who fought valiantly on court two in her contest with Hayashida. The senior’s three-set triumph – 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 – secured the victory for the Bruins, and her doubles partner Wagle accordingly left her court three matchup with Schmidt unfinished.
The Bruins continue their Midwest showing in Nebraska on Sunday, where they will pull together for another opportunity to better their win streak and, perhaps, sweep the Big Ten weekly awards once again.
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Featured Image Photographed by Nicolas Greamo/Daily Bruin.
