Madison Westby wins Pac-12 Player of the Week

Madison Westby, a freshman on the No. 2-ranked Women of Troy tennis team, took home Pac-12 Player of the Week honors for the second time this season after a strong, match-clinching performance this past Thursday.

Facing the No. 5-ranked,  cross-town rival UCLA Bruins, Westby battled both a worthy opponent in No. 28 ranked Kyle McPhillips and a nagging injury sustained during a second-set tiebreaker to seal the win for the Women of Troy. Ranked at No. 78, Westby was deemed a considerable underdog heading into the match, but her grit and determination willed her to a 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-4 win as USC took home the 4-3 victory over the Bruins and completed an undefeated season in the Pac-12 conference. The win avenged a March 4 loss to UCLA in Westwood, 4-3 and marked the second time in the past three seasons that the Women of Troy have finished with an undefeated record in the Pac-12 conference.

With her heroic performance Thursday, Westby now finds herself riding a six-game winning streak in singles play, where she sports a 22-7 overall record. She has also had a productive season in doubles, boasting a 14-5 record while pairing with fellow freshmen Gabby Smith and Meredith Xepoleas throughout the season.

This was the second Player of the Week award for Westby this season in what has been a remarkable campaign for the freshman from Tulsa, Oklahoma. She took home her first career award for her performance in USC’s Feb. 14 upset home victory over then-No.11 Vanderbilt at Marks Stadium.

In strikingly similar fashion to her Pac-12 title clinching victory Thursday, Westby led a             come-from-behind effort to seal a 4-3 win against the Commodores for the then-No. 12 Women of Troy. After falling behind to then-No. 68 senior Marie Casares 4-6 in her first set, Westby rallied to win her next two sets 6-3, 6-3 and earn the victory for USC. Westby was also part of a winning doubles effort earlier in the day, as she and Smith turned in an 8-6 victory that won the decisive doubles point for the Women of Troy after the team split their first two doubles matches with the Commodores.

USC women’s tennis is currently enjoying what has been a phenomenal season. After defeating UCLA Thursday, the team finished their regular season with a 21-2 overall record and a perfect 10-0 mark in Pac-12 conference play. The Women of Troy have enjoyed a No. 1 national ranking at times throughout this season, but currently sit at No. 2 entering the Pac-12 Championships that begin April 23 in Ojai, California and run through April 26.

Following that tournament, Westbty and her team will turn their sights toward the NCAA DI Championships at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas. The tourney will run from May 14 through May 25, with the team championships playing out first before the individual championships round out the back end of the competitions. The team championship match is currently slated for May 19, while the individual championship is slated for May 25.

USC will be looking to build upon a strong tournament performance last year at the NCAA championships, where the No. 16-ranked Women of Troy advanced to the Sweet 16 after an opening-round 4-0 victory over Idaho and a 4-2 win over Michigan before dropping a heartbreaking 4-2 loss to No. 1 Georgia.

Undoubtedly, the team has its eyes set on a deeper postseason run this year, and Westby will be one vital factor in determining their success.