EDWARD LIN/Daily Bruin Senior Staff
UCLA’s Megan Bradley, currently ranked
No. 3 in the nation, has been the most dominant freshman in the
country this year.
By Eric Perez
DAILY BRUIN REPORTER
[email protected]
UCLA women’s tennis player freshman Megan Bradley was
named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Rookie of the
Year at the ITA awards banquet Sunday night at Stanford, the site
of the NCAA championships.
“It feels great just to be recognized as the Rookie of the
Year,” Bradley said. “Even if I had won the regional
(Rookie of the Year) award it would have been great, but to win the
national award is just an honor.”
Bradley played No. 1 singles for UCLA and attained a 28-8
singles record. Currently ranked No. 3 in the nation in singles
competition, Bradley helped propel the Bruins back to national
prominence.
“She has had a great year,” head coach Stella
Sampras said. “It is a great honor because she has the
respect from all of the coaches in the country, and I am happy she
received the award because she deserved it.”
Bradley’s honor is well deserved, and it was almost
inevitable; she was by far the most dominant freshman in the
country.
Her top freshman competitor and longtime junior circuit
arch-nemesis, Duke’s Kelly McCain, was ranked higher at No. 3
before they met on March 12. Then ranked No. 5, Bradley overpowered
McCain in two sets ““ 6-4, 6-3 ““ with powerful serves
and returns for which McCain had no answer. McCain and UCLA’s
junior All-American Sara Walker were supposed to begin the singles
tournament today but the tournament’s first round was
suspended due to rain.
“It’s probably better because I have this extra day
to let my shoulder rest,” said Bradley who has been battling
tendinitis in her shoulder for a number of years. “But I was
ready to go today, and I wish we could have got it together because
my dad’s here and he could have had a chance to see me
play.”
Bradley will face Iowa’s Toni Neykova, and Walker will
face Wake Forest’s Janet Bergman at 11:30 today. Should
Bradley and Walker win their first round matches, they will play
again at 3:30 pm.