Bruins Ink Four Local Products

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – UCLA men's tennis adds four to its roster for the 2017-18 season. Head coach Billy Martin announced that Lucas Bellamy, Connor Hance, Bryce Pereira, and Keegan Smith have signed letters of intent to study at UCLA and play tennis for the Bruins.

"I'm really excited about the four future Bruins that we're bringing in for the 2017-18 season," said Martin. "They're all local products, which I love. We've been able to see all four of them growing up and playing in the Southern California area. I think it's going to help UCLA to keep going in the future and to always be competitive in postseason play."

Lucas Bellamy
Lucas Bellamy, of nearby Pacific Palisades, California, is a four-star recruit on TennisRecruiting.net (No. 169 nationally, No. 34 in California). Bellamy helped lead Palisades High to three consecutive CIF/LA City titles, as well as being a first-team selection for the CIF/LA City Section as a junior. The future Bruin was undefeated during Pali High's run to a second place finish at the National High School All-American Championships in Costa Mesa last spring.

Currently ranked 23rd in the Boys' 18-and-under in Southern California, Bellamy recently claimed titles at the Lakewood Junior Open and the Costa Mesa Summer Classic. His summer also included a stellar top-16 finish at the Southern California Sectionals. In October, Bellamy reached the quarterfinals at the 2016 USTA National Selection tournament in Oahu, Hawaii.

On the national scene, Bellamy reached the Round of 32 at both the Boys' 16s National Clay Courts in 2015 in Delray Beach, Florida, and the Boys' 14s National Hard Courts in San Antonio, Texas.

Other tournament highlights for Lucas include winning Southern California's prestigious Harper Ink Tournament and reaching the final of The Ojai Junior Tournament in 2013.

"Lucas is coming from one of the greatest tennis families in Southern California over the past 10 years," said Martin of Bellamy's raw talent. "His older brother went to USC, but we've got Lucas coming to be a Bruin. I'm really excited about that. He's very talented and he will certainly improve while he's here. I'm really happy to have him join us next year."

Connor Hance
The 14th ranked recruit in the nation according to TennisRecruiting.Net, Connor Hance is a Blue Chip Recruit who is also ranked No. 1 in every Southern California age division. He is the 2016 winner of the Ojai CIF division singles tournament and a four-time Southern California junior sectionals champion—winning singles in 2011 and 2013 and doubles in 2013 and 2015. A four-time USTA National Selection Champion, Hance is the 2015 ITF Claremont Level 4 champion. In 2015, Hance also won the singles title at the Zimmerman Johnson National Championships. Hance is the winner of two gold balls in 12s Clay Courts and 14s Easter Bowl. He also has three bronze balls in doubles—14s Easter Bowl, 16s Kalamazoo, and 18s National Winter Championships.

Hance's older sister currently plays tennis for Washington.

"Connor is another top-ranked junior and is someone who I think will be able to step in for us right away in both singles and doubles," said Martin. "That's one of the aspects I love about him—he can play both singles and doubles. He couldn't be a better addition to the team, as far as getting along with his teammates. I'm really excited about Connor joining the Bruins."

Bryce Pereira
A San Marino High School standout, Bryce Pereira was named the 2016 Pasadena Star News Boy's Tennis Player of the Year. Pereira has won major junior tournaments including the USTA Boys' National Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and the Easter Bowl in Indian Wells twice. As a junior, Pereira and his partner won the prestigious Ojai tournament's high school doubles title as well as the CIF-SS doubles title, defeating the tournament's top seed. In singles play, the future Bruin was the 2016 Memorial Junior Tennis Tournament Boys' 18s singles champion. He also reached the quarterfinals of the 2016 Newport Beach Bowl ITF Boys' Singles Championship in Ojai. In 2015, Pereira won the CIF Southern Section Doubles individual title, was the Boys' 16s doubles champion, and placed third in the Boys' 16s Easter Bowl. Pereira has won three gold balls throughout his career—first at the USTA Winter Nationals in Boys' 12s doubles (2011), again at the Easter Bowl in Boys' 14s doubles (2013), and most recently at the Boys' 16s doubles Hardcourt Championships (2015).

Three years ago, Pereira was selected to be in a Wilson commercial with Roger Federer. It featured three top youth players from around the world and aired during a major tournament. Pereira's sister currently plays tennis for TCU.

"I think Bryce is one of the most talented doubles players we've had join us in a long time," said Martin of Pereira. "He has unbelievably good hands and I know he'll be in our doubles lineup from day one. He's a great kid from Southern California, and I couldn't be happier to have him joining us."

Keegan Smith
After teaming up for a section doubles title as a freshman, Keegan Smith won his second straight San Diego Section singles crown last spring. The five-star Blue Chip recruit also upset top-seeded and ITF-ranked No. 9 Ulises Blanch of Florida in the first round of the Boys' ITF singles division at the 49th Annual ASICS Easter Bowl back in April. In July, Smith breezed to the title of the national New Balance High School Championship tournament with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Jared Meyer in Cambridge, Mass.

The seventh-ranked recruit in the nation according to TennisRecruiting.net, Smith is a high school All-American who won a gold ball in 18s doubles at the USTA National Winter Championships. He also went undefeated in singles and doubles playing No. 1 for Southern California in the USTA 18s National Team Championship. Smith picked up his first ATP point after winning four qualifying matches and his first-round victory at the Fountain Valley Futures.

Smith hails from a tennis family. His father, Jim, played at Tulane University, and his uncle, Peter, coaches at USC. His older brother, Corey, played for the Trojans after helping Point Loma win back-to-back section team titles in 2008 and 2009 and reach the finals again in 2010. Smith also has UCLA ties, as his cousins Kelly Rulon and Katie Rulon both played water polo for the Bruins.

"We're so lucky to get the top junior from Southern California and one of best in the nation," said Martin of Smith. "I've seen him growing up and playing tennis with my boys. His older brother went to USC, but we're getting Keegan to come to UCLA. I think he's going to be a huge addition to our team."

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