No. 16 Women's Tennis Blanks Colorado in Pac-12 Opener

BOULDER, Colo. – No. 16 UCLA women's tennis posted a 7-0 shutout of Colorado in the teams' Pac-12 opener Friday afternoon at the CU South Campus Tennis Complex.

Sasha Vagramov clinched the win for the Bruins (5-3, 1-0 Pac-12), who dropped just one set on the day. Abbey Forbes and Elise Wagle preceded Vagramov's decider with their own victories and three others tacked on wins of their own after the fourth point was collected. The Buffaloes fell to 4-4 with the loss.

Forbes and Vanessa Ong teamed up for the first time this season in doubles play and the pair had little trouble in its debut, taking the first five games from Antonia Balzert and Mila Stanojevic en route to a 6-1 win on Court 2. Then, with the Court 3 matchup knotted at three games apiece, the 28th-ranked combination of Wagle and Elysia Bolton handed Maria Campos and Caroline Pozo a 6-2 defeat to put the first point on UCLA's side of the scoreboard.

Five of six singles first sets went the way of the Bruins. No. 115 Forbes, who is the reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week, improved to 6-1 in dual-match play and doubled the Bruins' lead with her 6-3, 6-0 triumph over Pozo on the top court.

Wagle was next off on Court 5, where she bested Stanojevic by a 6-2, 6-3 score to put the visitors one point away from the overall victory. No. 102 Vagramov soon did the honors, collecting her ninth-career clinching win and first of 2022. Vagramov's 6-4, 6-3 decision over Maria Campos also increased her team-high singles win total to 11.

No. 111 Hance followed with a 7-5, 6-4 defeat of Megan Forster on Court 4. Hance has now won four singles matches in a row – all in straight sets. Ava Catanzarite followed her fellow freshman's example ensuring her contest with Betina Tokac on Court 6 would not need a third set. Catanzarite's 6-4, 7-6(6) victory marked her third straight.

Bolton lost her first set with Balzert before bouncing back. Bolton joined Forbes and Wagle in collecting two wins on the day, as the senior rolled to a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win that sealed the sweep.

UCLA returns to action Sunday when it visits No. 27 Utah. First serve in the Pac-12 matchup at George S. Eccles Tennis Center is set for 11 a.m. PT.

Tennis Match Results
UCLA vs Colorado
3/4/2022 at Boulder, CO
(CU South Campus Tennis Complex)

#16 UCLA 7, Colorado 0

Singles competition
1. #115 Abbey Forbes (UCLA) def. Caroline Pozo (COLO) 6-3, 6-0
2. Elysia Bolton (UCLA) def. Antonia Balzert (COLO) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
3. #102 Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) def. Maria Campos (COLO) 6-4, 6-3
4. #111 Kimmi Hance (UCLA) def. Megan Forster (COLO) 7-5, 6-4
5. Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. Mila Stanojevic (COLO) 6-2, 6-3
6. Ava Catanzarite (UCLA) def. Betina Tokac (COLO) 6-4, 7-6 (8-6)

Doubles competition
1. #28 Elysia Bolton/Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. Maria Campos/Caroline Pozo (COLO) 6-2
2. Abbey Forbes/Vanessa Ong (UCLA) def. Antonia Balzert/Mila Stanojevic (COLO) 6-1
3. Ellen Puzak/Betina Tokac (COLO) vs. Kimmi Hance/Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) 3-3, unfinished

Match Notes:
UCLA 5-3; National ranking #16
Colorado 4-4
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1); Singles (1,5,3,4,6,2)