Saturday, May 11
Los Angeles, CA
2:00 PM
USC
1
vs
4
North Carolina
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
Photo by: Hali Helfgott
No. 8 USC Men Edged Out In NCAA Round of 16 By North Carolina
May 11, 2019 | Men's Tennis, Features
Trojans take a 4-1 loss to the Tar Heels in the Super Regionals at Marks Stadium.
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. — The No. 8 seeded USC men's tennis team was unable to make up lost ground against No. 9 seed North Carolina today, falling 4-1 to the Tar Heels in the NCAA Super Regionals at Marks Stadium. The clash was a rematch of last year's NCAA Round of 16 clash, with the Trojans and Tar Heels meeting up in the same round as last. USC lined up its efforts to replicate last year's win with homecourt advantage on its side, but North Carolina was able to work into a lead and then fend off an early equalizer to claim victory and take this year's ticket to the NCAA Quarterfinals. USC wraps its 2019 campaign with a 22-8 overall record after reaching the NCAA Round of 16 for the 13th consecutive season.
The Tar Heels made their presence known at Mark Stadium by snapping an eight-match win streak held by USC doubles duo Daniel Cukierman and Tanner Smith. UNC's Kiger/Soendergaard managed a 6-2 win on court three over Cukierman/Smith, but USC's senior pairing of Jack Jaede and Laurens Verboven fired right back and issued a 6-2 win over UNC's 90 Cernoch/Sigouin. That put all eyes on court one, where USC's #10 Brandon Holt and Riley Smith were up against UNC'S #13 Blumberg/Boyden. The Tar Heels got a late push and hauled in a 6-4 win that pinned a 1-0 lead on the board for the visitors.
In singles, USC freshman Mor Bulis answered the call and whipped up the equalizer, leveling things at 1-1 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Mac Kiger on court six. North Carolina would buckle back down, however. On court two, UNC's #39 Benjamin Sigouin topped USC's #24 Daniel Cukierman 6-0, 6-4 to get back into the lead. At the No. 3 spot, #110 Josh Peck claimed a 6-4, 6-4 win over USC's #40 senior Laurens Verboven, and USC was in a 3-1 hole with three-setters going on the remaining three courts. In the end, the clincher came on court four. USC junior Riley Smith had claimed the first set, but the next one was neck-and-neck and went to a tiebreaker. UNC's #116 Brian Cernoch forced a third by winning that breaker. The third, too, would be an all-out battle, and another tiebreaker was on the table. Tar Heel Cernoch dig in for that one as well, closing out the UNC victory with a final 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win over Smith to make it 4-1 for the visiting team. That suspended action for Trojans Brandon Holt and Jake Sands with both also in sought three-set battles on courts one and five, respectively.
Although the team's ticket to Orlando for the NCAA Quarterfinals and beyond is now off the table for USC, the Trojans have a strong contingent of individuals heading to Orlando for NCAA Singles and Doubles play May 20-25. USC has four Trojans locked in for singles and one doubles duo in the mix. It'll be the first career NCAA appearance for Daniel Cukierman and Tanner Smith, and the first NCAA singles stint for Laurens Verboven. Brandon Holt, meanwhile, will be making his third journey into the NCAA singles draw and his third in doubles alongside fellow junior Riley Smith. Holt also has scored the No. 6 seed into the singles bracket. The 2019 NCAA Individual Championships will run May 20-25 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. Cukierman, Holt, Verboven and Tanner Smith are in the field of 64 singles players who will open competition on May 20, with Holt and Riley Smith paired up among a 32-team draw of doubles duos starting up on May 21.
2019 NCAA SUPER REGIONALS | ROUND OF 16
[9] #10 North Carolina 4, [8] #8 USC 1
May 11, 2019 | Marks Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
DOUBLES
(1) #13 Blumberg/Boyden (UNC) def. #10 Holt/R. Smith (USC) – 6-4
(2) Jaede /Verboven (USC) def. #90 Cernoch/Sigouin (UNC) – 6-2
(3) Kiger/Soendergaard (UNC) def. Cukierman/T. Smith (USC) – 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
North Carolina wins doubles point
SINGLES
(1) #6 Brandon Holt (USC) vs. #19 William Blumberg (UNC) – 6-4, 6-7 (4), 2-5 susp.
(2) #39 Benjamin Sigouin (UNC) def. #24 Daniel Cukierman (USC) – 6-0, 6-4
(3) #110 Josh Peck (UNC) def. #40 Laurens Verboven (USC) – 6-4, 6-4
(4) #116 Brian Cernoch (UNC) def. Riley Smith (USC) - 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5)*
(5) Jake Sands (USC) vs. Blaine Boyden (UNC) – 3-6, 6-3, 5-5 susp.
(6) Mor Bulis (USC) def. Mac Kiger (UNC) – 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: 6, 2, 3, 4*
The Tar Heels made their presence known at Mark Stadium by snapping an eight-match win streak held by USC doubles duo Daniel Cukierman and Tanner Smith. UNC's Kiger/Soendergaard managed a 6-2 win on court three over Cukierman/Smith, but USC's senior pairing of Jack Jaede and Laurens Verboven fired right back and issued a 6-2 win over UNC's 90 Cernoch/Sigouin. That put all eyes on court one, where USC's #10 Brandon Holt and Riley Smith were up against UNC'S #13 Blumberg/Boyden. The Tar Heels got a late push and hauled in a 6-4 win that pinned a 1-0 lead on the board for the visitors.
In singles, USC freshman Mor Bulis answered the call and whipped up the equalizer, leveling things at 1-1 with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Mac Kiger on court six. North Carolina would buckle back down, however. On court two, UNC's #39 Benjamin Sigouin topped USC's #24 Daniel Cukierman 6-0, 6-4 to get back into the lead. At the No. 3 spot, #110 Josh Peck claimed a 6-4, 6-4 win over USC's #40 senior Laurens Verboven, and USC was in a 3-1 hole with three-setters going on the remaining three courts. In the end, the clincher came on court four. USC junior Riley Smith had claimed the first set, but the next one was neck-and-neck and went to a tiebreaker. UNC's #116 Brian Cernoch forced a third by winning that breaker. The third, too, would be an all-out battle, and another tiebreaker was on the table. Tar Heel Cernoch dig in for that one as well, closing out the UNC victory with a final 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) win over Smith to make it 4-1 for the visiting team. That suspended action for Trojans Brandon Holt and Jake Sands with both also in sought three-set battles on courts one and five, respectively.
Although the team's ticket to Orlando for the NCAA Quarterfinals and beyond is now off the table for USC, the Trojans have a strong contingent of individuals heading to Orlando for NCAA Singles and Doubles play May 20-25. USC has four Trojans locked in for singles and one doubles duo in the mix. It'll be the first career NCAA appearance for Daniel Cukierman and Tanner Smith, and the first NCAA singles stint for Laurens Verboven. Brandon Holt, meanwhile, will be making his third journey into the NCAA singles draw and his third in doubles alongside fellow junior Riley Smith. Holt also has scored the No. 6 seed into the singles bracket. The 2019 NCAA Individual Championships will run May 20-25 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla. Cukierman, Holt, Verboven and Tanner Smith are in the field of 64 singles players who will open competition on May 20, with Holt and Riley Smith paired up among a 32-team draw of doubles duos starting up on May 21.
2019 NCAA SUPER REGIONALS | ROUND OF 16
[9] #10 North Carolina 4, [8] #8 USC 1
May 11, 2019 | Marks Stadium (Los Angeles, Calif.)
DOUBLES
(1) #13 Blumberg/Boyden (UNC) def. #10 Holt/R. Smith (USC) – 6-4
(2) Jaede /Verboven (USC) def. #90 Cernoch/Sigouin (UNC) – 6-2
(3) Kiger/Soendergaard (UNC) def. Cukierman/T. Smith (USC) – 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
North Carolina wins doubles point
SINGLES
(1) #6 Brandon Holt (USC) vs. #19 William Blumberg (UNC) – 6-4, 6-7 (4), 2-5 susp.
(2) #39 Benjamin Sigouin (UNC) def. #24 Daniel Cukierman (USC) – 6-0, 6-4
(3) #110 Josh Peck (UNC) def. #40 Laurens Verboven (USC) – 6-4, 6-4
(4) #116 Brian Cernoch (UNC) def. Riley Smith (USC) - 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5)*
(5) Jake Sands (USC) vs. Blaine Boyden (UNC) – 3-6, 6-3, 5-5 susp.
(6) Mor Bulis (USC) def. Mac Kiger (UNC) – 6-3, 6-2
Order of finish: 6, 2, 3, 4*
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