Tennis opens season strong


Senior Logan Smith prepares for the season by scrimmaging teammates in practice. (Emily Smith/Daily Trojan)

After a full week at the Australian Open in Melbourne, the USC men’s and women’s tennis teams took care of business in exhibition matches against players from the Tennis Australia National Team and in their first regular season matches against the University of South Carolina Gamecocks.

Both teams faced off against the Tennis Australia National Team on Jan. 20. The men went undefeated in doubles play, while only one singles player endured a loss. Two USC doubles teams consisting of freshman Mor Bulis and junior Riley Smith, and freshman Bradley Frye and redshirt junior Jake DeVine, faced off against the Australian National Team. Bulis and Smith won against an Australian doubles team 6-4.

As for singles, the Men of Troy only lost one match, as Harry Bourchier beat Bulis in a game that went right down to the wire. The rest of the singles players consisted of Smith, Frye and DeVine, who all won their matches with ease.

The Women of Troy won both doubles matches against Australia and three out of four singles matches. The doubles teams consisted of sophomore Alexa Corcoleotes and junior Sydney Van Alphen, and junior Becca Weissmann and freshman Danielle Willson. Weissman and Willson had the closest match for the women’s team, narrowly winning against Australia 7-6.

Singles had their fair share of wins as well, as sophomore Ana Neffa, Weissmann and Wilson all won their matches in two sets. The only loss for the Women of Troy was from Van Alphen’s two-set defeat to Australia’s Katherine Westbury.

After a dominating day for both teams, the Trojans quickly recuperated for their first regular season match the following day.

On the men’s side, the No. 5 Trojans took care of business against No. 25 South Carolina. Winning by a score of 4-0, the Men of Troy went undefeated in both singles and doubles matches.

For doubles, the No. 1 seed team of junior Brandon Holt and Smith defeated South Carolina pair senior Yancy Dennis and freshman Raphael Lambling by a score of 6-1. In addition, sophomore Daniel Cukierman and Frye won their match to win the doubles point for the Trojans.

The single players had to put up a fight, but Cukierman, senior Laurens Verboven and freshman Jake Sands all won their singles matches to give the Trojans a sweep against the Gamecocks.  

The women’s team started off NCAA play strong as well, beating the No. 13 South Carolina Gamecocks in a memorable comeback. The Women of Troy ended up beating the Gamecocks 4-1, but it would not have been possible without the gutsy fight from Neffa, senior Rianna Valdes and junior Angela Kulikov. All three players powered their way through tough first set losses to beat their opponents in three sets.

Kulikov had one of her best matches as a Trojan, coming back from a 0-6 first set in her match against junior Mia Horvit. Both Neffa and Valdes easily finished off their matches against senior Rachel Rohrabacher and sophomore Megan Davies respectively.

In doubles, Kulikov and Valdes won their match against junior Silivia Chinellato and Davies in an easy two sets. Weissmann and Willson and freshman Salma Ewing and Neffa both lost their matches, which prevented the Women of Troy from beating the Gamecocks 5-0.

The men’s tennis team plays against South Alabama and UC Santa Barbara at Marks Stadium this Saturday. Women’s tennis’ next match is at Marks Stadium against Loyola Marymount University on Jan. 31.