TULSA, Okla. — Both the men’s and women’s tennis teams have found a player to rely on for what seems to be an almost automatic win.

For the men, it’s freshman Nick Meister; for the women, it’s sophomore Yasmin Schnack – again.

A year ago at the NCAA Championships, Schnack went an unprecedented 5-0 in the postseason at the No. 3 position, and this season she is on track to accomplish a similar feat.

And Schnack has dominated despite sitting out almost a month prior to the opening two rounds of the NCAA Championships.

“I was really nervous coming in here because I haven’t played in a while, but I feel like after these two matches I have a lot of confidence,” she said. “I feel like I can go out there and hit any shot and make it.”

Schnack won both her matches in Tulsa. She’ll look to continue that hot streak today when the Bruins face Florida in the semifinal.

Not everything has been smooth sailing for Schnack though; she and partner Alex McGoodwin have struggled in doubles play.

But Schnack’s impact as a singles player has outweighed her struggles on the doubles side.

“When they see her win that first match, it really helps the rest of them because they see another point on the board for us,” UCLA coach Stella Sampras Webster said.

Meister has done essentially the same thing for the men’s team, first clinching the Bruins’ Round of 16 win against Florida State with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Brad Mixson and then clinching UCLA’s first singles win against USC in the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Andrew Piotrowski.

“I haven’t seen him hit one ball in singles, but I don’t think I have to see him to comment on that,” UCLA coach Billy Martin said. “He’s just been the Rock of Gibraltar.

“He’s stepped in as a freshman at No. 6 the whole year and has really enjoyed pressure situations and enjoyed being there when it’s on the line.”

Meister initially earned a reputation for his clutch play when he sealed the Bruins’ first win over the Trojans this season.

And Martin now knows that the freshman’s outstanding play is by no means a fluke.

Meister was shaky in the Round of 16 match due to the new environment and the magnitude of the match.

But after getting that first match under his belt, he thrived playing in front of the hundreds of fans that line the courts at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center on the University of Tulsa’s campus.

“The first match, I was really tight compared to today,” Meister said after the match against the Trojans. “I got the jitters out in the first match, so I felt pretty comfortable the whole way through.”

Meister seemed to win the majority of the longer points, benefiting from the energy of the crowd.

He gained considerable momentum when he broke Piotrowski’s serve early in the second set.

“Getting that break in the second set helped me see the finish line a whole lot sooner, and I felt like it also encouraged my teammates to see a match going their way,” he said.

“I think it helps both myself and the team. We all use it to build on.”