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USC Women’s Tennis Begins 2020 Season Ranked No. 11
January 23, 2020 | Women's Tennis, Features
THIS WEEK
The No. 11 ranked USC women's tennis team opens the 2020 season with a trip to Seattle for ITA Kickoff Weekend. Washington will host the event which takes place on Saturday and Sunday (Jan. 25 and 26) at the Husky's Nordstrom Tennis Center. USC opens the weekend by challenging Kentucky on Saturday at 11 a.m., and Washington will face Princeton at 2 p.m. The winners of the two Saturday matches will play on Sunday at 2 p.m. with the winner advancing to the National Team Indoor Championships. The losers of Saturday's matches will play in a consolation match on Sunday at 11 a.m. Admission to the event is free.
ORACLE/ITA RANKINGS UPDATES
The Women of Troy kick off 2020 holding the No. 11 team ranking in the nation. USC boasts three nationally ranked singles players and one ranked doubles pair. Senior Angela Kulikov is Troy's highest ranked player at No. 60, with senior Sydney Van Alphen holding the No. 68 position and sophomore Danielle Willson close behind at No 70. The USC duo of Angela Kulikov/Danielle Willson is ranked No. 29.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
The Kentucky Wildcats hold a 5-0 record on the 2020 season, most recently defeating Miami (Ohio) 6-1 and Cincinnati 5-2 on Jan. 21. Wildcat Lesedi Jacobs holds the No. 59 singles ranking while Jacobs/Parazinskaite are ranked No. 21 in doubles. The team is not nationally ranked. Kentucky went 19-9 in the 2019 season, which was the program's best season since going 19-8 in 2007. The Wildcats fell to Michigan in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
SCOUTING PRINCETON
Just like the Trojans, this will be Princeton's first match of the season. The Tigers have three ranked singles players: No. 24 Brianna Shvets, No. 55 Zoe Howard and No. 66 Daria Frayman. In doubles, Princeton's Joyce/Frayman are ranked No. 19. Princeton is not nationally ranked. The Tigers finished 19-5 last season losing to Washington in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
SCOUTING WASHINGTON
USC's Pac-12 foe, No. 17 Washington is 4-1 on the 2020 season entering ITA Kickoff Weekend. Most recently, the Huskies lost to No. 16 Florida State 3-4 on Jan. 17. Washington returns all but two players from the 2019 team including two ranked singles players, No. 88T Katarina Kopcalic and No.102 Vanessa Wong. The Huskies went 21-5 last season, falling to UCLA in the Round of 16.
