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NOTE: The Men’s match scheduled for Los Angeles Tennis Center has been postponed. A makeup date has not been announced.
The long-standing rivalry between UCLA and USC resumes on the tennis court tomorrow as both schools near the close of the NCAA regular season, with PAC-12 Championships and the NCAA tournament on the horizon.
On Friday, @USTASoCal platforms will highlight this year’s teams and celebrate the rivalry between these two storied programs, including spotlight features throughout the day and updates from the courts as the teams battle for crosstown bragging rights.
Friday’s action is a rare occasion that sees both Men’s and Women’s teams playing concurrently. Coach Brett Masi’s #15 Trojans visit their archrivals in Westwood, while Stella Sampras Webster brings her streaking Bruins downtown to face USC.
With an eight game winning streak, the women of UCLA (16-3) are coming off a big win over Pepperdine, avenging a loss in March against the Waves. During the streak they’ve swept both Stanford and California and rebounded from a brief ranking plunge that saw then drop from #2 to #10. They enter play on Friday as the #8 ranked team in the nation.
The season has been a roller coaster for Alison Swain’s Trojans (11-8), who finish their regular season schedule with Friday’s match. The month started promisingly for USC, with road wins over Arizona and AZ State, but home court failed to provide an advantage in losses to Stanford and Cal. The Trojans sit at #36 nationally.
After starting the season as the nation’s top program, USC’s men rank at #15 entering Friday’s play. At 16-6, the Trojans remain the favorites for a PAC-12 title and expect to contend for the NCAA trophy later this spring. A surprising loss to Stanford last weekend will not discourage USC, who have beaten the Bruins twice this season.
Like the Trojans, UCLA enters Friday action coming off a loss to the Cardinal. The Bruins have been consistent in 2021 but sprinkled in a few surprise losses, like a stumble last month at Arizona, to drop their national ranking to #33. At 11-4, the Bruin men have struggled on the road but have posted a 9-1 record at home. The only loss? To the USC Trojans.
Still, regardless of record or ranking, an entire season can hinge on what happens with the Bruins meet the Trojans. On Friday, all four teams will take their turn in the storied rivalry, with the next exciting chapter on their racquets.