Brandon Holt Is Named Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year

For the third straight year, USC has four Trojans on the All-Pac-12 honor roll. And for the third straight season, Brandon Holt leads the charge with First Team honors. This season, Holt has also emerged as the Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year — the 10th time a Trojan has picked up top honors from the conference. Holt has Daniel Cukierman by his side on the All-Pac-12 First Team, while Laurens Verboven has scored a spot on the All-Pac-12 Second Team. Fellow senior Tanner Smith, meanwhile, has his first all-conference award with his 2019 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention.

Junior Brandon Holt has been USC's top gun all season long. He rides a 10-match singles win streak into the coming NCAA Round of 16, and he joins an illustrious list of seven other Trojans with Pac-12 Player of the Year accolades to their names. Ranked No. 6 in the nation in singles and No. 10 in the land in doubles, Holt helped captain the Trojans to the 2019 Pac-12 Championship and through to a 13th consecutive NCAA appearance. Now with his third set of All-Pac-12 First Team honors, Holt holds a 19-5 singles mark and is 15-5 in doubles this year with partner Riley Smith. The last Trojan to be named Pac-12 Player of the Year was Yannick Hanfmann in 2014. Two Trojans — Robert Farah and Steve Johnson — are two-time recipients of the honor.

Sophomore Daniel Cukierman has upgraded his Pac-12 award list with this year's All-Pac-12 First Team selection. He's USC's winningest singles player this season as he boasts a 33-9 mark. Currently ranked No. 24 in the nation in singles, Cukierman's double game is strong as well. He and partner Tanner Smith have won eight straight matches together as the Trojans turn to the NCAA Round of 16. Cukierman also has earned himself a place in the 2019 NCAA Singles draw. He was named to the All-Pac-12 Second Team last year in his first season as a Trojan.

Senior Laurens Verboven also has climbed on the Pac-12 honor roll this season. An Honorable Mention recipient last year, Verboven is on the All-Pac12 Second Team this year. Currently ranked No. 40 in the nation in singles, Verboven grips a 15-6 singles record and is second on the team in having clinched four victories for the Trojans this season. Verboven also has drawn his first ticket to the NCAA Singles draw.

USC's fourth player bound for NCAA Singles action this month — and fourth All-Pac-12 honoree this year — is senior Tanner Smith. Ranked No. 57 in the nation in singles, Smith has snagged All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention for his first career award from the conference. He's 17-6 in singles play this season.

Seeded No. 8 in the NCAA Tournament, the Trojans are lined up to host No. 9 seed North Carolina this Saturday (May 11) at 2 p.m in the NCAA Round of 16 at Marks Stadium.

2019 All-Pac-12 Honorees

Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year
Brandon Holt

All-Pac-12 First Team
Daniel Cukierman
Brandon Holt

All-Pac-12 Second Team
Laurens Verboven

All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention
Tanner Smith

Players Mentioned

Daniel Cukierman

Brandon Holt

Riley Smith

Tanner Smith

Laurens Verboven