USC set to take on nation’s best at ITA


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Fittingly, during this long President’s Day weekend, the No. 1 men’s tennis team (6-0, 0-0) will travel across the country to Thomas Jefferson’s old stomping grounds in Charlottesville, Va.

Top spot · Junior Jaak Poldma and the Trojans enter the ITA’s National Team Indoor Championships in Charlottesville, Va. as the top-ranked team. team. - Gary Fung | Daily Trojan

In this historically-rich location, the Trojans hope to make history as the top seed at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships — hosted by second-seeded University of Virginia (4-1, 0-0).

Two weeks ago, as winners of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, USC qualified for the opportunity to face off against the top squads from across the nation.

The Trojans are looking forward to the increased fervor and competition that comes with playing a tournament of this magnitude.

“The season goes up a couple of levels in intensity at the [ITA Indoor tournament],” USC coach Peter Smith said. “This tournament is an excellent way to compare ourselves against other top teams.”

First up on the Trojans’ slate is a first round matchup against No. 26 Fresno State (7-1), where Smith was the head coach from 1992 to 1997. The Bulldogs are riding a hot streak coming into the tournament, coming off upset victories over No. 17 Texas A&M (4-2, 0-0) and No. 32 Rice University (5-1, 0-0) during the Kick-Off Weekend.

Also, in its half of the draw, USC finds Pac-10 rivals No. 9 Stanford  (4-0, 0-0) and No. 4 UCLA (2-0, 0-0). This potentially sets up second and third round matches against familiar foes.

Even if the potential Pac-10 matchups do not work out, the rest of the teams — other than Fresno State — are all ranked in the top 20, providing a true test for the nation’s top-ranked squad.

Playing tennis indoors fosters the ambience of big-time college tennis. Not only do the players not have to deal with the sun or other weather conditions, but the intensity is palpable with the echoing play and of the players cheering their squads on.

As with the opening six-match homestand, Smith would like to see how his lesser experienced players — like freshman J.T. Sundling and junior Peter Lucassen — respond as the season progresses.

Obviously, the Trojans would like to fly home as victors, but Smith does not place extra pressure on his squad as he continues to evaluate his team.

“The Indoors will provide a great atmosphere as well as a great lesson for our team,” Smith said.