No. 5 USC Faces No. 7 Tennessee in the First Round of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship

LOS ANGELES - No. 5 (12-seeded) USC men's tennis draws No. 7 (5-seeded) Tennessee in the first round of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship starting at 9 a.m. PT/12 p.m. ET at Columbia University's Philip & Cheryl Milstein Family Tennis Center in New York City.

The Trojans will be on a quest for their fifth National Team Indoor Championship title. USC previously won the title in 2020 and claimed the championship in 1987, 1988, and 2012.

RANKINGS
The Trojans enter this weekend as the No. 5 ranked team in the country (ITA Coaches Poll, Feb. 7) after being ranked at No. 7 for four consecutive polls. USC currently hosts two-ranked individuals and one ranked doubles squad in the most recent individual rankings (Feb. 7). Junior Peter Makk is the highest-ranking individual, ranked #38. Sitting behind him is #96 senior Lodewijk Weststrate. Makk is 3-3 in duals this season, including wins over #88 Adam Neff (SMU) and #31 Iiro Vasa (USD). Weststrate is 4-2 in duals, with one of his only losses coming to #98 Jerry Barton (SMU).

USC has one ranked doubles squad with the combination of graduate student Stefan Dostanic and sophomore Oscar Weightman at #37. The brand-new duo featuring the latest member to the Trojans roster is 2-0 overall, as they have yet to drop a match as a pair in duals. The doubles squad already has one quality win as they took down #15 Sharma/Klaassen 6-4.

ABOUT THE ITA INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Comprised of 16 of the nation's best teams, the ITA Division I Men's National Team Indoor Championship is an event packed with excitement and history as the championship continues its storied history in just a few days from Columbia University in New York, New York.

The 2022 and 2023 ITA National Team Indoor Champions, TCU, are back in 2024 as the second-seeded team in the tournament.

Across all of the teams, the SEC lead all conferences with four teams represented in the Indoor Championships, finishing just one above the ACC and Pac 12, which each have three teams represented this year.

As a single-elimination tournament, teams will play one match each day, with the Championship Match being played on Monday, February 19, at noon (ET). However, all teams are guaranteed to play at least three matches over the weekend through either the main or consolation draw.

WATCH
A TrackTennis live stream and iOnCourt live scoring will be available for every match at the 2024 Division I Men's Indoor Championship. The tournament is partnered with Cracked Racquets to provide on-site commentary during the tournament. Fans can find the broadcast on the Cracked Racquets YouTube channel.

LAST WEEK
The Trojans went on the road for the first time this season and went 0-2, dropping a match to Oklahoma State 6-1 and Baylor 4-0.

SCOUTING TENNESSEE
The Volunteers currently rank as the No. 7 team in the latest ITA rankings (ITA Coaches Poll, Feb. 7). Tennessee is 7-2 this season, with its only losses coming from #2 TCU and #10 Columbia. The Volunteers have three ranked individuals, including #9 Johnannus Monday, #16 Shunsuke Mitsui, and #64 Filip Pieczonka. Tennessee also brings in two ranked doubles squads with #9 Monday/Diaz and #28 Pieczonka/Mitsui.

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Players Mentioned

Stefan Dostanic

Peter Makk

Oscar Weightman

Lodewijk Weststrate