UCLA freshman Pam Montez is hoping she won't get swept away in her return home this week.

She's not talking about getting swept away with emotion. She's talking literally.

Montez, who won the CIF singles title as a senior at La Quinta High School last year, will compete in the Duel in the Desert tournament today through Sunday at the Moore Tennis Academy in the Desert Princess Country Club in Cathedral City.

Montez doesn't remember playing many matches at the Moore Tennis Academy except maybe once for the Easter Bowl and in another junior event when she was young.

“All I know is that it gets very windy there,” Montez said.

However, Montez looks forward to the opportunity to return home.

“It should be a lot of fun because the ball flies differently there than everywhere else,” Montez said. “It will be fun to go back and be close to home.”

The tournament is part of the fall season, which is essentially a preseason for college tennis.

“We use the fall to build a foundation with our conditioning so it's important to get matches,” said UCLA coach Stella Sampras, who led the Bruins to the NCAA title two seasons ago. “We try to play as many matches as possible, and it's a test to see where they're at and see what direction we should go.”

One of those tests will be where Montez fits into the Bruins' plans.

Montez said she's been struggling with a right biceps injury that has affected her play.

Sampras anticipates Montez will help the team in doubles, and she will pair her with Carling Seguso.

Seguso is the daughter of former tennis players Robert Seguso and Carling Bassett.

Sampras said she likes the combination of Bassett's power and Montez's speed.

“The biggest thing is figuring out our doubles team,” said Sampras, who is the sister of 14-time Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras. “We have a couple players we want to see where they play within doubles, and we'll use this tournament to find some combinations.”

Montez and Bassett get along, but haven't played together this season.

“I'm pretty excited,” Montez said. “She hits really, really big shots.”

This is the eighth year of the tournament, which features the top players from many of the top schools in the country.

In addition to UCLA, this year's field includes players from USC, Texas, Northwestern and Georgia. Four of the teams in the field finished in the top 12 last season.

The tournament begins today and runs through Sunday. Matches begin at 8 a.m. each day and admission is free.