Roster:
Chika Matsumoto – Senior
Ali Isaacman – Junior
Joy Huang – Sophomore
Elyse Pham – Sophomore
Ryu Miyake – Senior
Ishaan Choubal – Junior
Luat Le – Junior
Arseni Yalouskikh – Sophomore
Johnson Ng Chen – Freshman
Teams defeated this season: SDSU-A, SDSU-B, USC-A, USC-B, UCSD-A, UCSD-B, UCSB-A, UCSB-B, UCI-B, Cal Poly SLO-B, Claremont Colleges-A, USD , UCSC, CSUN-A, UCR
Q: How did you first hear about the Tennis On Campus program? What made you decide to actively take part and also become a leader on your campus? How do you feel about TOC and being a captain?
I first heard about the TOC program as a first year during freshmen orientation. There was a table with a “Bruin Club Tennis” poster (with three people standing there, who are now very close friends of mine) and I eagerly walked up to them since I was looking to continue tennis in college. I made the decision to actively participate because of my love for tennis (I just couldn’t stand to be off the court), and I became a leader with hopes of spreading this love and continuing to provide a home for tennis players. I feel that TOC is a wonderful environment for college tennis players from all over the country to come together and enjoy friendly competition. Being captain is extremely tough sometimes with the commitment it takes, but it is also a rewarding and enriching experience. I love the people I have met through my experience and would not trade it for anything else.
Q: How did you enjoy your National Championships experience last year?
I did not attend the Nationals championships last year, but my teammates loved it.
Q: What does it mean to be back? Was it a more difficult road to return to Nationals?
For me as a fourth year, it means the world to me. I started off my first year as a benchwarmer, played on B-team as a second year, and moved up to A-team as a third year, but was not given the opportunity to play at Nationals. The time I spent on court—both good and bad—have shaped me into the person I am today and I am more than thankful for both the growth I’ve experienced in my game and as a person. The road to Nationals this year was tough, but every match was thrilling and we enjoyed it.
Q: In what ways has your team improved this year?
I feel that our team has improved this year in remaining calm under pressure and never giving up on a point. I have seen our players staying confident and positive even in the face of an 0-4 set score, and zoning in on their strengths rather than wallowing in their weaknesses.
Q: What do you tell new players about Nationals, or players that are traveling for the first time to compete for your school?
I would tell new traveling players to relax and to always remember to have fun. It is common to feel nervous and tight at the start of the match, but I would help them realize just how lucky we are to be outside under the blue skies, playing a game we love (instead of studying for a midterm).
Q: Who was your toughest opponent at past Nationals and how did they challenge you to become better?
Although I cannot speak to who our toughest opponent was at past Nationals, I could say that our toughest opponent at SoCal Sectionals was Cal Poly SLO. This was our second consecutive year playing in the gold draw finals against them. Last year, we beat them marginally by one or two games. This year, we lost to them by two games. This rivalry has grown because of the preseason matches we’ve played against them. This challenge helped us focus on each point and to enjoy the game as a unified team.
Q: Does your team actively use social media to stay connected? If so, what social media platforms are your favorites? Does your team use social media in any special way that you feel sets you apart from other teams?
Our team actively uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and the UCLA Club Sports Website to stay connected. Facebook is our favorite when communicating weekly updates to all of our general and competitive team members; Twitter is great when quickly updating scores to keep everyone in the loop; Instagram is perfect for unifying members and featuring cool action shots; the website is updated weekly to feature our biggest pieces of news and our “Player of the Week”. I feel this sets us apart from other teams because of the amount of exposure we get in promoting events, themed practices, and results. We have many players that join us because they found us through a social media platform; we currently have about 200 members.
Q: Do you have many seniors on your team? Do you think they know about opportunities after graduation like “Sets in the City” or young adult social leagues? Do you think anyone on your team would be interested in starting one?
We have two seniors on our team, including myself. We definitely know about young adult leagues and are looking forward to joining them. We are not aware of “Sets in the City,” but it sounds interesting.
Share with us some of the ways you help out in the local & global communities in the name of tennis.
In the name of tennis, Bruin Club Tennis is partnering with ACEing Autism this year in an inaugural run hosted at UCLA. We are hoping to raise awareness of how tennis is a common ground for kids with Autism to enjoy the game, to discover themselves, and to connect to others. Because UCLA is a major research institute, we hope that people from all over the Greater Los Angeles Area become involved.
Share with us a funny story about the 2015 team or team member(s).
A funny story about our current team involves the freshmen. During the one week that it rained significantly in Los Angeles, we joked that we would have our freshmen roll around as squeegees to dry the courts (since we couldn’t find any squeegees).
If a local newspaper was to write a story about your team what is the one thing you’d want to make sure they included?
If a local newspaper was to write a story about our team, I would want them to include that we are an extremely friendly team that of course enjoys the competition, but moreover values the friendships, companionships and connections TOC tournaments create. I feel like the people we meet from different schools—including players from our cross-town rival, USC—are always fun to talk to. When we hosted a TOC tournament at UCLA this year, our whole team enjoyed it very much because of the 16 unique teams that we had the pleasure of meeting.
