USC’s Grace Piper Named Pac-12 Women’s Tennis Player of the Week

LOS ANGELES – For the first time this season, USC junior Grace Piper has earned Pac-12 Player of the Week honors. This is Piper's first time earning this award in her career, and this marks the 46^th all-time weekly award present to the Women of Troy.

Piper had an impressive performance throughout USC's matches against a pair of Big Ten Conference opponents in Michigan. The No. 103 ranked Piper played from the No. 3 & 4 position in singles and the No. 3 position in doubles over the weekend. She did not lose a match (4-0 in doubles & singles combined) and clinched one match for the Women of Troy.

The junior defeated a top-20 ranked singles opponent on Sunday, downing Michigan's No. 18 ranked Julia Fleigner 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 on court three to solidify a 4-2 USC upset over the No. 2 ranked Wolverines. On Friday, Piper beat Michigan State's Issey Purser 6-2, 6-4 while playing at the No. 4 singles position. Her match was the first to finish as she helped USC get their first point on the board against the Spartans.

In doubles, Piper and her partner Parker Fry defeated the Spartan duo of Issey Purser and Ria Bhakta with a score line of 6-3. They followed it up with another 6-3 doubles win on Sunday over Michigan's Julia Fleigner and Lily Jones. In addition to being ranked in singles, Piper is also currently ranked No. 52 in doubles with her partner Parker Fry.

The England native is 16-4 on the season in singles play, currently riding a nine-match win streak, and is 18-8 in doubles (15-7 with Fry).

Piper and the Women of Troy return to action on Friday, March 1 as the Trojans head to Westwood for a Crosstown Showdown against UCLA at 1:30 p.m. PT.

Players Mentioned

Parker Fry

Grace Piper