Throughout the fall, tennis players around the nation competed with one common goal: a spot at last week’s NCAA Championships in Orlando. For many players, even getting to this tournament would be the pinnacle of their collegiate tennis career. 

Between the singles and doubles competitions, a total of 96 berths were up for grabs; USC claimed eight of them.

With over half of the roster qualifying for nationals, the Trojans entered the tournament with high spirits, yet remained aware of the moment’s magnitude.

“We look at it as a natural part of playing, and try to manage those [nerves] as best we can with things we’ve worked on all season,” Head Coach Alison Swain said in an interview with the Daily Trojan.

Among all the championship participants, USC’s doubles pairing of freshman Krisha Mahendran and sophomore Jana Hossam achieved a unique feat: In addition to competing together as a duo, they each pulled their weight individually, battling in the singles event.

Together, Mahendran and Hossam reached the Round of 16 in doubles, highlighted by an emphatic 6-3, 6-0 victory in the Round of 32 over Georgia’s duo of sophomore Anastasiia Gureva and junior Aysegul Mert, the latter being the spring 2024 doubles champion.

In singles, their paths couldn’t have been more different: While Mahendran was eliminated in the Round of 64, Hossam made a deep run all the way to the semifinals, where it took the eventual champion, North Carolina senior Reese Brantmeier, to stop her. 

Although she ultimately lost 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, Hossam excelled in the early stages, compiling a 52-24 set record and winning three consecutive matches in straight sets.

“For her, it was more managing her body, being professional, trying to get recovered and take care of herself so she could be as fresh as possible at the start of each day, because it’s a lot of tennis on the body,” Swain said.

Freshman Dani Borruel and junior Lily Fairclough formed an unexpected partnership this season, with the duo having won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Championships in October.

The duo maintained momentum going into nationals, taking down teams from Texas Tech, Iowa State and Yale University before falling 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 10-3 to NC State’s pairing of junior Gabriella Broadfoot and freshman Victoria Osuigwe, who went on to win the championship.

“Lily’s been a leader out there with her energy and attitude, and that’s helped Dani relax and be able to play brave and go for it,” Swain said. “How they were playing at the start of [regionals] and now is very different; they understand each other much more on the court. And this is just the start for them.”

As a result of their impressive tournament campaigns, USC became the only school represented in both singles and doubles semifinals.

Senior Emma Charney and freshman Eugenia Zozaya also represented the Trojans in the singles tournament. Charney advanced to the Round of 16, where she lost 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 to Appalachian State University senior Savannah Dada-Mascoll in a tight affair. Zozaya took her leave in the Round of 64, losing 6-4, 6-3 to Duke sophomore Irina Balus.

Despite being unlikely candidates to excel at nationals, Swain said she was pleased with the team’s performance and believes the program is only looking up from here.

“Our team has a lot of belief in our own abilities and the work we put in, and that’s built through practice,” Swain said. “We operated under the radar this fall; not a lot of people paid attention to us. Now, the Division I tennis world knows we’re here.”

According to Swain, while USC hopes to carry its red-hot form into the dual-match season, it still yearns for more. With Charney being the sole senior in the squad, Swain said the future looks bright.

“The team has an energy about it right now that’s really positive, and I’m really excited about what we could do in the spring,” Swain said. “Our returners did some really good things last season, but we’ve left unsatisfied. The team will approach the spring season very hungry and feeling like we’ve got something to prove.”

The Trojans anticipate a focused start to the spring, emphasizing the importance of each match with full intensity.

“Our big mantra is, ‘Today is the most important day,’” Swain said. “If it’s practice today, this is the most important practice of the year. And that’s how we’re going to approach every match in the spring.”