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Women's Tennis Posts Standout Performances Across Town

Oct 13, 2021
Sasha Vagramov (Photo: Eric Hurd)

LOS ANGELES – The UCLA women's tennis team got its 2021-22 season underway at a pair of fall events, as six student-athletes took to the courts in Mount Pleasant, S.C. and closer to home.

The hidden-dual format was utilized at the Women of Troy Invitational on the campus of USC, where Ava Catanzarite, Taylor Johnson, Vanessa Ong, Sasha Vagramov and Elise Wagle played matches against opponents from Arizona, San Diego and their crosstown rivals. Abbey Forbes, meanwhile, got her first win of the campaign at the ITA All-American Championships.

The Bruins swept through six matches with the Wildcats Friday, Oct. 8 and four with the Toreros two days later. Sandwiched between those matchups was one with the Trojans that saw four of six contests go the way of UCLA.

Junior Vagramov was the big winner of the weekend, going 6-0. Included in her singles efforts was a pair of three-set victories. Freshman Wagle shined in her first appearances as a Bruin, taking three singles decisions and two doubles results without a loss. Catanzarite also debuted with an unblemished mark, going 2-0. Taylor Johnson and Vanessa Ong rounded out the group with three wins apiece. Overall, UCLA went 9-2 in singles play and 5-0 in doubles action at David X. Marks Tennis Stadium.

Forbes, the ITA's second-ranked player, dispatched of her opening-round opponent, No. 104 Julia Adams of Furman, by a 6-1, 6-3 score. Forbes would fall one round later, though, as 44th-ranked Taisiya Pachkaleva of Pepperdine prevailed with a 6-3, 6-3 showing. Pachkaleva ultimately reached the semifinal round before seeing her journey come to an end versus eventual champion Sarah Hamner of South Carolina.

Current team members Ong, Elysia Bolton and Kimmi Hance were also active at Team Ascension's Pro Women's Open in Redding, Calif. earlier in the week. The fields also featured Bruins Catherine Harrison and Jada Hart. The top performer of the bunch proved to be Harrison, who made the semifinal rounds of both draws.

Women of Troy Invitational
10/8-10/10/2021 at Los Angeles, CA (David X. Marks Tennis Stadium)

Singles competition
Day 1 - UCLA vs. Ari
   Taylor Johnson (UCLA) def. Kayla Wilkins (Arizona) 6-1, 6-2
   Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) def. Midori Castillo-Meza (Arizona) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
   Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. Lexi Ryngler (Arizona) 6-3, 6-3
   Ava Catanzarite (UCLA) def. Belen Nevenhoven (Arizona) 6-1, 6-2
Day 2 - UCLA vs. USC
   Snow Han (USC) def. Vanessa Ong (UCLA) 6-3, 6-4
   Sloane Morra (USC) def. Taylor Johnson (UCLA) 1-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
   Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) def. Leyden Games (USC) 6-2, 6-0
   Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. Grace Piper (USC) 6-4, 6-2
Day 3 - San Diego
   Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) def. Jordyn McBride (San Diego) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
   Vanessa Ong (UCLA) def. Claudia De Las Heras (San Diego) 6-3, 6-1
   Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. Victoria Kalaitzis (San Diego) 5-7, 7-5, 1-0 (10-6)
Doubles competition
Day 1 - UCLA vs. Ari
   Taylor Johnson/Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. Belen Nevenhoven/Kayla Wilkins (Arizona) 6-3
   Ava Catanzarite/Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) def. Midori Castillo-Meza/Lexi Ryngler (Arizona) 6-4
Day 2 - UCLA vs. USC
   Taylor Johnson/Vanessa Ong (UCLA) def. Snow Han/Danielle Willson (USC) 6-2
   Sasha Vagramov/Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. Sloane Morra/Grace Piper (USC) 6-2
Day 3 - UCLA vs. San
   Vanessa Ong/Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) def. Abigail Desiatnikov/Jordyn McBride (San Diego) 6-3

ITA All-American Championships
10/4-10/10/2021 at Mount Pleasant, S.C. (LTP Tennis Club)

Singles competition
32    #2 Abbey Forbes (UCLA) def. #104 Julia Adams (Furman) 6-1, 6-3
16    #44 Taisiya Pachkaleva (Pepperdine) def. #2 Abbey Forbes (UCLA) 6-3, 6-3