Women’s tennis team set to play Oregon this weekend

This Sunday, the No. 26 Trojans will face off against No. 49 Oregon. 

With their 4-3 win against Arizona last weekend, the team improved to 14-7 overall and 5-3 in conference play, bumping the team up three spots in the national rankings. 

The Trojans are ranked fourth in conference play, while the Ducks are ranked seventh. Oregon is 11-7 overall and has lost its last three matchups, all to Pac-12 opponents. 

Despite working through several player injuries in the past few weeks, Head Coach Alison Swain said the team’s focus is on adapting to the opponent. 

“We’ve had players playing in different spots, maybe playing higher in the lineup, things like that or with a new doubles partner, and it’s important for us to focus on what we do well, focus on ourselves and know that we’re resilient and we’re adaptable as a team,” Swain said. “We need to believe in our abilities as players and just focus on the match we’re playing in front of us, not who we’re playing or what number we’re playing.”

Historically, USC has dominated Oregon, boasting an all-time record of 16-2 against the Ducks, winning their last matchup last season 4-0. 

Senior Eryn Cayetano, No. 42 in the nation, said that the team should improve its energy if it wants to secure a victory on Sunday.

“One thing that we need to change is energy on court,” Cayetano said. “We have a very talented group of girls and a very firey group of girls, but sometimes we don’t use that energy to our advantage.” 

Junior Naomi Cheong said this year’s team has been especially close-knit. 

“For the very first time since I’ve been here, we actually have had a team that actually bonds well together,” Cheong said. “We have a great group of girls that really respect and love each other, and we all are on the same page of our goals and what we want to achieve together as a team and individually as well. And I think that sense of clarity, honestly, is what is helping us push forward and improve and get better even with the tough losses.”

Women’s tennis has eight returning members and has added two freshmen and a graduate transfer. Freshman Maddy Sieg, the No. 7-ranked player in the nation, leads the team with a 23-1 overall record, including a perfect record in dual matches, and a 14-game win streak. 

Cayetano, who plays doubles with Sieg, spoke of her relationship with her teammate. 

“We didn’t get to play that much with each other before college, but we just mesh together so well,” Cayetano said. “We have a very similar way to how we approach the game so playing with her has just been so much fun … I’ve seen so much growth in her, and it’s crazy to think that she’s only a freshman because she’s already done so much.”

The team will travel to Eugene to match up against Oregon at the Oregon Student Tennis Center at 11 a.m. Sunday.