University Southern California Trojans
13th-Ranked Trojans Host Pepperdine, Baylor
February 25, 2004 | Men's Tennis
Feb. 25, 2004
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This Week -- Having jumped six spots in the most recent ITA poll, the 13th-ranked USC men's tennis team (5-1) returns home this week to host No. 21 Pepperdine (7-2) and No. 3 Baylor (7-1). The Trojans face the Waves on Friday, Feb. 27, at 1:30 p.m., then host the Bears at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28. Both matches will be played at Marks Tennis Stadium.
This year's Trojans are eager to turn a new leaf. Coming off a very uncharacteristic performance last season, in which the Trojans finished 14-12 overall and 2-5 in the Pac-10, the 2003-04 Trojans are stronger, deeper, and looking forward to returning to the national spotlight. The team features nine returners and four newcomers, all of which will see ample playing time in the starting lineup.
Recent Results -- The Trojans completed a desert sweep last week, defeating No. 38 Arizona, 7-0, and No. 47 Arizona State, 6-1. Neither match counts against Pac-10 records.
ITA Ranking Updates -- The team jumped six spots, from No. 19 to No. 13, in the most recent ITA rankings released on Feb. 24. In singles, freshman Jamil Al-Agba entered the rankings at No. 16, senior Ruben Torres moved to No. 68, junior transfer Drew Hoskins dropped to 69th and junior Johan Berg moved to No. 84.
USC vs. Pepperdine - Friday's match will mark the 51st all-time meeting between the Trojans and Waves. USC is 37-13 against Pepperdine after splitting two matches last season. The Trojans fell 5-2 in Malibu, then won 4-3 in Los Angeles. COMMON CONNECTION... USC head coach Peter Smith spent five years coaching at Pepperdine before taking the position at Troy in May of 2002.
USC vs. Baylor - USC and Baylor have met only twice in series history. The first was a 4-2 Baylor victory at the 2000 ITA Team Championships, and the second was a 4-2 USC victory in the Round of 16 of the 2002 NCAA Championships. The Trojans went on to claim the 2002 title.
Newcomers Leading the Way -- Two of USC's newcomers - Jamil Al-Agba (6-0 dual matches) and Adriano Biasella (6-0) - are leading the way this season. Neither player has lost a match in the team lineup, playing at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively.
USC-UCLA March Match-Up To Be Televised -- Fox Sports Net will air a tape-delayed broadcast of the USC-UCLA rematch on March 2 at Marks Tennis Stadium. The match will air on March 6 at 3 p.m.
Get The Latest Info -- Updated team stats can always be found by logging on to www.usctrojans.com. They are located on the men's tennis page under "Season Statistics."
