University of San Diego Magazine 75th Anniversary 2024

PHOTO: TOM CHRISTENSEN

I liked USD because I wanted to make a difference.” Following a 22-win freshman season in singles at the No. 4 or 5 position in the lineup and 16 wins last year at No. 2, Abdala put De Las Heras, the 2024 Preseason All-WCC selection, at No. 1 singles this year. She’s facing the best competition and receiving the most growth potential possible. “It is exciting to play against a lot of very good players who help me improve. And being a No. 1 player means you have a leadership role and can set an example,” she said. One sure example came when USD faced nationally ranked Florida on the road and a few days later hosted USC. In both instances, De Las Heras’ match was the deciding point to determine a team winner. Against Florida, she won a first-set tiebreaker, “It doesn’t matter if Claudia is having a good or bad day on the court, she’s going to show up every single day at practice with an incredible attitude and wants to lift her teammates up.”

7-6 (7-0) against the Gators’ No. 1 Carly Briggs, but, after leading 5-3, lost a hard-fought 7-6 (7-5) second set. A crushing 6-1 win by Briggs in the deciding set gave Florida a 4-3 victory. The USC match showed that De Las Heras could bounce back. De Las Heras defeated Snow Han 6-4 in the opener, but Han’s 6-4 win set up the match-deciding set. This time, De Las Heras prevailed, 7-5. “When you’re in that position, you want to win and give your best. Against Florida, I couldn’t close it out. I felt disappointed. Against USC, I thought this was my chance and I overcame it. It was a really good moment.” A teachable moment. “You got to see who she is as a person,” Abdala said. “The match at Florida came down to her. Unfortunately, she lost. It was a heartbreaker and you could tell she was hurting a lot. Then, against USC, it came down to her again, but she embraced it and was confident. Against Florida she was rushing things, not taking her time. You could tell she was feeling the pressure. Against USC, she was coachable, breathing and she went to her towel. You could see a four-day difference that she managed the situation better. She clinched the win for us, beating USC, which is always a big deal. That’s who she is. When she goes down, she’s hurt, but doesn’t go too low. She’s quick to learn. She wants to learn the game, the emotions.” •

Above left to right:

Elizabeth Goldsmith,

Jordyn McBride and

Claudia De Las Heras

pose for a photo

during a match

against Stanford.

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