Tennis finishes weekend undefeated as Masi celebrates 200th career win

A dominant force at Marks Stadium, USC’s men’s and women’s tennis teams combined for an undefeated weekend at home.

The women’s team pulled off two 4-0 wins Saturday, while men’s combined for three 7-0 wins Friday and Sunday. The men remain undefeated, now at 6-0, with the women off to a similarly encouraging 3-1 start to the season.  

Both teams played double-headers this past weekend –– the men took on St. Mary’s College and UC Irvine Friday, while the women faced St. Mary’s and California State Fullerton on Saturday. The men closed out the weekend with a match against San Diego State on Sunday. 

Women’s

In week two of play, the Trojans won every single match against St. Mary’s and California State Fullerton after a 1-1 start to the season last weekend. On the way to two 4-0 wins, USC only dropped two sets in two eventually suspended singles matches against Fullerton.

USC continued its flawless play against St. Mary’s, extending its all-time record against the Gaels to 9-0 with Saturday’s victory. Losing only three games in doubles play, the women grabbed the two matches needed for the doubles point, winning 6-1 and 6-2, respectively. Redshirt senior Claire McKee defeated her opponent in the second set of her singles match, en route to a dominant 6-4, 6-1 win to finish off the morning and lead the Trojans to a 4-0 win.

Returning just hours later, the short rest wore little on the Trojans’ performance. Head coach Alison Swain and company took a little longer to claim the doubles point against Cal State Fullerton, winning two sets in a single break each, ending in 7-5 and 6-4, respectively. However, USC wrapped up singles quickly, winning all matches in straight sets.

Summer Dvorak, a redshirt senior transfer from Duke, played an essential role in both victories for the women this weekend. Dvorak contributed to a 6-1 doubles win against St. Mary’s and won both of her singles matches this weekend –– with final scores of 6-0, 6-0 against St. Mary’s, and 6-2, 6-4, against Cal State Fullerton.

“We played a good doubles point but … when we talked in our little group huddle, we wanted to bring up the energy,” Dvorak said. “Bringing energy at every point, whether it’s doubles, singles, the first point, [or] the last point, is something that I was able to do well today.”

The women will take on No. 5 Pepperdine again Saturday after suffering a 2-4 loss against the Waves last week, a match they “have circled on their calendars,” and will spend the week ahead getting ready for.

“We have some things to clean up in doubles, but for the most part, we will individualize things for our players based on what we saw and [how] they felt coming out of the matches this weekend,” Swain said. “Someone like Summer, we really want her movement to feel good, we want her forehand side to feel good. Those are really important things for her.”

Men’s

The men came out strong on Friday against St. Mary’s, winning the doubles point with ease in two matches by a score of 6-2 and 6-3, respectively. Singles fared similarly, dropping only one set in six matches. Redshirt freshman Colter Smith secured the 7-0 win for the Trojans with the final victory of the day, finishing 7-5, 6-3.

Friday morning’s victory was head coach Brett Masi’s 200th career win, 19 of those coming during his tenure at USC. Propelling off the morning’s win and added excitement, the Trojans held their ground while facing UC Irvine, not dropping a single set along the way.  

Important wins against the Anteaters were captured by junior Mor Bulis, clinching the doubles point with his partner sophomore Stefan Dostanic in a 7-5 win. Bulis also went on to win the final match of the day, a singles victory ending in 6-1, 6-4.

“This weekend we really pushed the guys, we always do, but we pushed the guys to try and come forward a little bit more, try to finish points a little quicker, build the points a certain way,” Masi said. “They did an excellent job, [I] can’t complain.”

USC finished the weekend strong Sunday, culminating in another 7-0 win over San Diego State. With one default win due to a short and injured crew for San Diego State, USC piled it on, gathering another six points for a sweep. 

Redshirt senior Riley Smith powered through Sunday’s action in a 6-2, 6-4 singles win after a suspended doubles match with partner Bulis once the Trojans secured the two match wins needed for the doubles point.

Masi’s group will look to maintain its place as the top-ranked ITA team when the Trojans reappear at the ITA Indoor Championships in Champaign, IL this week to defend their title. The Trojans will start the competition Wednesday by facing No. 19 Kentucky.