USC fell to UCLA Wednesday night.

The No. 12 USC women's tennis team took on bitter rival UCLA on Wednesday falling 4-3 in a close match at a breezy Marks Tennis Stadium.

Freshman Valeria Pulido led the Trojans with close victories in both her doubles and singles matches.

Pulido teamed up with Cristala Andrews in doubles for an 8-6 victory over the Bruins' tandem of Pamela Montez and Carling Seguso.

She followed that up with a 6-7 (7), 6-1, 7-5 squeaker over Stephanie Hoffpauir but it wasn't enough.

"I expected it to be a tough match and for a while there it looked like it might not be and yet our girls really rallied," said USC coach Robert Gallien of his team's close loss.

No.4 UCLA won the first two doubles matches to secure the point and an early 1-0 lead.

The Trojans came right back in singles as Alison Ramos made quick work of Noelle Hickey 6-2, 6-3 to tie it at one apiece.

The Bruins responded with Pamela Montez's 6-4, 6-2 victory over Sarah Fansler and Maya Johansson's 7-5, 6-3 victory over Andrews to take a commanding 3-1 lead.

But there was no quit in the Trojans.

Third-ranked Maria Sanchez and Pulido edged their respective opponents in three sets to knot it at three with one match still in progress.

That left it up to freshman Danielle Lao who was going to head to head on court No. 3 with UCLA's Andrea Remynse.

Lao battled Remynse and a bout with the flu to the end, eventually losing in three sets 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 to give UCLA the match.

"Literally a 102 degree fever," Gallien said of Lao's condition. "You know when you get chills and aches and you have to stay in bed, she's out there playing."

USC will now head north for their first official Pac-10 matchup of the season as they take on Oregon on Friday.

DOUBLES
(1) #4 Remynse/Schnack (UCLA) def. #36 Kinstler/Sanchez (USC) - 8-4
(2) Hickey/Pantic (UCLA) def. Lao/Ramos (USC) - 8-4
(3) Andrews/Pulido (USC) def. Montez/Seguso (UCLA) - 8-6
UCLA wins doubles point.
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3

SINGLES
(1) #3 Maria Sanchez (USC) def. #5 Yasmin Schnack (UCLA) - 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
(2) #21 Alison Ramos (USC) def. #37 Noelle Hickey (UCLA) - 6-2, 6-3
(3) #34 Andrea Remynse (UCLA) def. #22 Danielle Lao (USC) - 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
(4) #124 Pamela Montez (UCLA) def. Sarah Fansler (USC) - 6-4, 6-2
(5) #91 Valeria Pulido (USC) def. Stephanie Hoffpauir (UCLA) - 6-7 (7), 6-1, 7-5
(6) Maya Johansson (UCLA) def. Cristala Andrews (USC) - 7-5, 6-3
Order of finish: 2, 4, 6, 1, 5, 3*