USC Men’s Tennis Opens 2024 Campaign against UC Irvine
The University of Southern California (USC) Men’s Tennis team is set to kick off their 2024 season with an early match against UC Irvine on Friday, January 19th, at 1:30 p.m. at Marks Stadium. Due to forecasted rain, the originally scheduled second leg of the doubleheader featuring UNLV has been postponed until further notice.
Trojans Boast Talented Roster
USC enters the season with a highly talented roster, led by three nationally ranked singles players. Peter Makk, ranked No. 39, is the Trojans’ highest-ranking individual, followed closely by Lodewijk Weststrate at No. 73 and Karl Lee at No. 94. Lee also holds the best record on the team from the fall season, boasting a 13-4 mark.
In doubles, Samuel Rubell and Niroop Vallabhaneni form USC’s only ranked squad, currently sitting at No. 47 in the national rankings.
Newcomers to Watch
The Trojans welcome two exciting newcomers to the team this season: Volodymyr Iakubenko from Kiev, Ukraine, and Oscar Weightman from London, England.
Iakubenko, a highly decorated junior player, holds one junior singles title and reached the finals in May 2023 at J300 Santa Croce Sull’Arno in Italy. He boasts a career-high ITF Junior ranking of No. 52 and finished his junior career with an impressive overall record of 96-63 in singles and 67-38 in doubles.
Weightman, currently ranked 1130 in the ATP singles world rankings, brings a wealth of experience to the Trojans. He achieved a career-high ITF singles ranking of No. 69 in April 2022 and has competed in several ITF Futures tournaments.
Looking Back at a Historic 2023 Season
The Trojans are coming off a remarkable 2023 season, where they compiled an overall record of 21-8 and earned a share of the Pac-12 regular season title with a 6-2 conference record. They also captured their fourth consecutive Pac-12 tournament title, solidifying their dominance in the conference.
USC’s success extended into the NCAA tournament, where they advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals. The Trojans hosted Idaho and San Diego in the first two rounds, securing decisive victories with a 4-0 sweep against Idaho and a 4-1 win over USD.
Scouting UC Irvine
UC Irvine enters the match with a 1-0 record this season, having defeated Westcliff University 7-0 on January 18th. However, they remain unranked in the ITA rankings and do not have any individually ranked players.
How to Follow the Action
Fans can catch all the action from Marks Stadium through PlaySight. Live streams and live scoring will be available at USCTrojans.com/mtennis. Follow @USCMensTennis on Instagram and Twitter for score updates and behind-the-scenes content.
Conclusion
The USC Men’s Tennis team is poised for another successful season in 2024. With a talented roster led by nationally ranked players and exciting newcomers, the Trojans aim to continue their dominance in the Pac-12 and make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Don’t miss your chance to witness the Trojans in action as they kick off their season against UC Irvine on Friday, January 19th.