Area Teams Are Hosts for NCAA Regionals

The road to the NCAA championships begins at home for several area college tennis teams.

The No. 4-seeded UCLA men’s and No. 7-seeded women’s teams will play host to one of 16 four-team regionals for their respective NCAA tournaments this weekend at the Los Angeles Tennis Center.

The women begin at 1 p.m. today with a first-round match against Southern University. The Bruin men open against UC Santa Barbara at noon Saturday. Women’s first-round winners will play at 3 p.m. Saturday, the men’s winners at noon Sunday.

UCLA (19-4), seeded behind defending champion and top-ranked Georgia, No. 5-ranked Tennessee and No. 3-ranked Illinois, got a tough draw despite its No. 2 national ranking. If the Bruins get past this weekend, they probably will have to beat No. 13-seeded Florida, No. 5-seeded Stanford and Georgia just to get to the final match May 21 at Texas A&M.;

“I think we’re one of seven or eight teams that all have a chance to win,” said UCLA men’s Coach Billy Martin.

The eighth-seeded Pepperdine men’s and No. 10-seeded USC women’s teams also will play host to regionals, with the Waves playing Richmond at 10 a.m. Saturday and the Trojans facing Oral Roberts at 1 p.m. Saturday. Regional winners advance to the round of 16 beginning Thursday in Palo Alto for the women and May 18 in College Station, Texas, for the men.

“I don’t see a team that really stands out,” UCLA women’s Coach Stella Sampras said. “It’s a great opportunity to be a contender.”