University Southern California Trojans
Sunday, April 5
Los Angeles, Calif.
1:00 PM
USC
3
vs
4
Ohio State
Photo by: Kevin Kim
USC Men's Tennis Pushes No. 1 Ohio State to Brink in 4-3 Thriller at Marks Stadium
April 05, 2026 | Men's Tennis
Trojans deliver statement performance with multiple ranked upsets
LOS ANGELES -Â USC men's tennis went toe-to-toe with top-ranked Ohio State on Sunday at Marks Tennis Stadium, pushing the Buckeyes to the limit before ultimately falling 4-3 in one of the tightest matches of the season.
With the loss, USC moves to 14-6 overall and 6-3 in Big Ten play. Despite the outcome, the unranked Trojans recorded the second-highest point total any opponent has posted against Ohio State this season.
The Buckeyes struck first by claiming the doubles point with wins on courts three and one, taking an early 1-0 lead.Â
Moving into singles play, Ohio State would continue the momentum, taking the match on court four to take a two-point lead.Â
USC responded emphatically as freshman Max Exsted delivered one of the biggest wins of the day, dominating No. 20 Jack Anthrop 6-1, 6-3 on court three.Â
The Buckeyes struck again, with Bryce Nakashima defeating Andrin Casanova 6-3, 6-4 on court five.Â
Nate Trouve answered with another statement victory, taking down No. 23 Preston Stearns 6-4, 7-5 at the No. 2 position to keep the Trojans' hopes of a comeback win alive.Â
Next, sophomore Connor Church turned in a gritty comeback performance on court six, rallying for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Brandon Carpico to even the match at 3-3 and set the stage for a dramatic finish.
All eyes turned to the top court, where Branko Djuric faced No. 11 Aidan Kim in a three-set battle. After splitting the first two sets, the deciding frame went down to the wire, with Kim narrowly escaping with a 7-5 third-set win to clinch the match for Ohio State.
Despite the narrow defeat, USC's performance underscored its ability to compete with the nation's best, highlighted by three singles victories (including two over top-25 opponents) and a near upset of the No. 1 team in the country.
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With the loss, USC moves to 14-6 overall and 6-3 in Big Ten play. Despite the outcome, the unranked Trojans recorded the second-highest point total any opponent has posted against Ohio State this season.
The Buckeyes struck first by claiming the doubles point with wins on courts three and one, taking an early 1-0 lead.Â
Moving into singles play, Ohio State would continue the momentum, taking the match on court four to take a two-point lead.Â
USC responded emphatically as freshman Max Exsted delivered one of the biggest wins of the day, dominating No. 20 Jack Anthrop 6-1, 6-3 on court three.Â
The Buckeyes struck again, with Bryce Nakashima defeating Andrin Casanova 6-3, 6-4 on court five.Â
Nate Trouve answered with another statement victory, taking down No. 23 Preston Stearns 6-4, 7-5 at the No. 2 position to keep the Trojans' hopes of a comeback win alive.Â
Next, sophomore Connor Church turned in a gritty comeback performance on court six, rallying for a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win over Brandon Carpico to even the match at 3-3 and set the stage for a dramatic finish.
All eyes turned to the top court, where Branko Djuric faced No. 11 Aidan Kim in a three-set battle. After splitting the first two sets, the deciding frame went down to the wire, with Kim narrowly escaping with a 7-5 third-set win to clinch the match for Ohio State.
Despite the narrow defeat, USC's performance underscored its ability to compete with the nation's best, highlighted by three singles victories (including two over top-25 opponents) and a near upset of the No. 1 team in the country.
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Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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