Women’s tennis knocked out in Final Four


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The top-ranked USC women’s tennis team’s national title campaign was ended by No. 4 seeded Vanderbilt 4-0 in a semifinal match that featured weather delays and four three-set matches.

The Women of Troy entered the tournament with momentum and history on their side.  The last time USC secured the tournament’s top seed was in 1985, the most recent national title win for the team.  The team was also coming off the second Pac-12 title in the past three years, and this one included an undefeated Pac-12 season.

USC’s national title run began on May 9, hosting a first-round match between Long Beach State and Virginia Tech and its own first round matchup with Youngstown State.  USC would go on to blank Youngstown as well as Virginia Tech in the second round.  With the wins, USC earned its ticket to Waco, Texas, where the higher Round of 16 and beyond would be held at Baylor’s Hurd Tennis Center.

To open play in Texas, USC swept No. 16 Texas Tech in a quick match that proved USC’s dominance.  Despite a tough doubles point, the Women of Troy persevered, powering through singles play as freshman Meredith Xepoleas beat her opponent 7-5, 6-1 to clinch not only the match, but also her 20th consecutive singles victory.

In their meeting with No. 8 and host Baylor, the Women of Troy dropped their first point of the tournament despite going on to win 4-1.  After clinching a hard earned doubles point, USC’s freshman power kicked into gear with wins from No. 57 Madison Westby and No. 79 Xepoleas 7-6 (4), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 respectively.  The lone loss would come from the No. 1 court where No. 24 senior All-American Sabrina Santamaria would drop her match with No. 22 Ema Burgic 6-2, 7-6 (6).

The loss would not affect the team though, as the third freshman No. 78 Gabby Smith dominated her opponent putting up a score of 6-1, 6-4.

The semifinal match against  No. 4 seed Vanderbilt was USC’s next challenge, and despite the 4-0 loss, the match was much closer than the score would indicate.

To secure the doubles point, Vanderbilt’s No. 20-ranked top tandem would put a beat down on the No. 24 pair of Zoë Katz and Santamaria 8-2.  Just as No. 19 seniors Guiliana Olmos and Zoë Scandalis dropped their match to their No. 18 ranked counterparts, 8-6, lightning in the area prompted a nearly 45-minute delay.

The Commodores wasted no time once the skies were clear, and they jumped out to first set wins on four different courts.  Two of those matches resulted in two-set victories for Vanderbilt; Westby lost 6-1, 6-2, and shortly after Scandalis lost 6-2, 6-2.  The other four courts engaged in battle, however, with all four matches going the distance before No. 14 Olmos dropped her match with a final score of 6-2, 3-6, 6-2.

The Women of Troy finished the season with a 25-3 record, their most wins since the national championship in 1985, an undefeated Pac-12 season and a conference championship to accompany their season-long journey to the No. 1 rank in the nation.

USC was also a big winner of ITA Southwest Regional Awards with head coach Richard Gallien winning Coach of the Year.  It was his fourth selection for the honor.  Assistant Coach West Nott also picked up a coaching award, winning his second assistant coach of the year award.

Freshman Madison Westby garnered the award for Rookie of the Year for her dominant play on both the singles and doubles side of the court.  The No. 57 singles player recently picked up a similar award for Pac-12 Freshman/Newcomer of the Year.