Saturday, April 27
Ojai, CA
3:00 PM
USC
4
vs
0
California
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
No. 8 USC Men Claim Fourth Pac-12 Tournament Crown
April 27, 2019 | Men's Tennis, Features
Freshman Jake Sands clinches the 4-0 win over Cal to get USC another 20-win season.
OJAI, CALIF. — The No. 8 USC men's tennis team cleaned up a 4-0 sweep of No. 33 California to claim the Trojans' fourth Pac-12 Tournament Championship today in Ojai, Calif. While three three-setters raged in singles play, USC saw freshman Jake Sands coolly claim a straight-set clincher to follow wins from Daniel Cukierman and Laurens Verboven. The championship win improves USC to 20-7 overall — the Trojans' third consecutive 20-win season — and secures an automatic berth into what will be USC's 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.
At the No. 3 spot, USC's Daniel Cukierman and Tanner Smith took quick control and peeled out to a 6-1 win over Cal's Draper/Molloy to light a fuse for the Trojans. On court two, USC's senior duo of Jack Jaede and Laurens Verboven banged out a 6-4 win over Barretto/Kaya, and USC was on to singles play with a 1-0 lead.
#20 Cukierman remained in cruise control during singles. He'd shut down opponent Jack Molloy in the first and surrender just two games in the second to drive the Trojans to a 2-0 lead with his 6-0, 6-2 win on court two. It didn't take long for senior Laurens Verboven to dig in, step up and issue a decisive win of his own next. The #27 Verboven lifted USC to a 3-0 advantage with his 6-0, 6-3 win over Paul Barrett on court three, leaving the Trojans looking for a clincher on one of the remaining four courts.
The Trojans and Golden Bears were tangled up in three-setters on three courts while freshman Jake Sands was heaping pressure on Cal after having claimed the first set vs. Jacob Brumm in a tiebreaker before edging out ahead two breaks in the second set on court five. So, too, was Mor Bulis up a couple breaks in his third set against Bjorn Hoffman on court six. Both newcomers would also jump ahead of their respective opponents by 5-1 margins as the two Trojans were neck-and-neck in pursuit of the clincher for their team. While Cal tugged it to 5-2 on court six, Sands wouldn't let his Bear opponent get away. The freshman pounced on his opportunity and rattled off a 7-6 (5), 6-1 decision that brought his teammates pouring onto his court five in celebration of the Trojans' fourth Pac-12 Tournament championship.
Now gripping an automatic berth into the coming NCAA Tournament, USC awaits the seeding announcements for NCAA action. The NCAA Tennis Championship selection show is set for Monday (April 29) at 3 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.
2019 PAC-12 TOURNAMENT (Ojai, Calif.)
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
#8 USC 4, #33 California 0
April 27, 2019 | Libbey Park (Ojai, Calif.
DOUBLES
(1) #11 Holt/R. Smith (USC) vs. #31 Brumm/Kikuchi (CAL) - 5-4 susp.
(2) Jaede/Verboven (USC) def. Barretto/Kaya (CAL) - 6-4
(3) Cukierman/T. Smith (USC) def. Draper/Molloy (CAL) - 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 2
USC wins doubles point.
SINGLES
(1) #10 Brandon Holt (USC) vs. Yuta Kikuchi (CAL) - 4-6, 6-2, 2-5 susp.
(2) #20 Daniel Cukierman (USC) def. Jack Molloy (CAL) - 6-0, 6-2
(3) #27 Laurens Verboven (USC) def. Paul Barretto (CAL) - 6-0, 6-3
(4) Riley Smith (USC) vs. Ben Draper (CAL) - 5-7, 6-3, 1-4 susp.
(5) Jake Sands (USC) def. Jacob Brumm (CAL) - 7-6 (5), 6-1*
(6) Mor Bulis (USC) vs. Bjorn Hoffmann (CAL) - 3-6, 6-3, 5-2 sus.
Order of finish: 2, 3, 5*
At the No. 3 spot, USC's Daniel Cukierman and Tanner Smith took quick control and peeled out to a 6-1 win over Cal's Draper/Molloy to light a fuse for the Trojans. On court two, USC's senior duo of Jack Jaede and Laurens Verboven banged out a 6-4 win over Barretto/Kaya, and USC was on to singles play with a 1-0 lead.
#20 Cukierman remained in cruise control during singles. He'd shut down opponent Jack Molloy in the first and surrender just two games in the second to drive the Trojans to a 2-0 lead with his 6-0, 6-2 win on court two. It didn't take long for senior Laurens Verboven to dig in, step up and issue a decisive win of his own next. The #27 Verboven lifted USC to a 3-0 advantage with his 6-0, 6-3 win over Paul Barrett on court three, leaving the Trojans looking for a clincher on one of the remaining four courts.
The Trojans and Golden Bears were tangled up in three-setters on three courts while freshman Jake Sands was heaping pressure on Cal after having claimed the first set vs. Jacob Brumm in a tiebreaker before edging out ahead two breaks in the second set on court five. So, too, was Mor Bulis up a couple breaks in his third set against Bjorn Hoffman on court six. Both newcomers would also jump ahead of their respective opponents by 5-1 margins as the two Trojans were neck-and-neck in pursuit of the clincher for their team. While Cal tugged it to 5-2 on court six, Sands wouldn't let his Bear opponent get away. The freshman pounced on his opportunity and rattled off a 7-6 (5), 6-1 decision that brought his teammates pouring onto his court five in celebration of the Trojans' fourth Pac-12 Tournament championship.
Now gripping an automatic berth into the coming NCAA Tournament, USC awaits the seeding announcements for NCAA action. The NCAA Tennis Championship selection show is set for Monday (April 29) at 3 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.
2019 PAC-12 TOURNAMENT (Ojai, Calif.)
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
#8 USC 4, #33 California 0
April 27, 2019 | Libbey Park (Ojai, Calif.
DOUBLES
(1) #11 Holt/R. Smith (USC) vs. #31 Brumm/Kikuchi (CAL) - 5-4 susp.
(2) Jaede/Verboven (USC) def. Barretto/Kaya (CAL) - 6-4
(3) Cukierman/T. Smith (USC) def. Draper/Molloy (CAL) - 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 2
USC wins doubles point.
SINGLES
(1) #10 Brandon Holt (USC) vs. Yuta Kikuchi (CAL) - 4-6, 6-2, 2-5 susp.
(2) #20 Daniel Cukierman (USC) def. Jack Molloy (CAL) - 6-0, 6-2
(3) #27 Laurens Verboven (USC) def. Paul Barretto (CAL) - 6-0, 6-3
(4) Riley Smith (USC) vs. Ben Draper (CAL) - 5-7, 6-3, 1-4 susp.
(5) Jake Sands (USC) def. Jacob Brumm (CAL) - 7-6 (5), 6-1*
(6) Mor Bulis (USC) vs. Bjorn Hoffmann (CAL) - 3-6, 6-3, 5-2 sus.
Order of finish: 2, 3, 5*
USC Men's Tennis' Matteo Morazzi: Trojans Live 4.07.25
Monday, April 07
USC men's tennis wins Pac-12 Tournament title (4/29/23)
Sunday, April 30
