University Southern California Trojans
Friday, January 23
Berkeley, Calif.
11:00 AM
USC
vs
Central Florida
Photo by: Kevin Kim
No. 21 USC Men's Tennis Headed to Bay Area for ITA Kickoff Weekend
January 23, 2026 | Men's Tennis
Trojans look to punch ticket to ITA National Team Indoor Championships in early February.
BERKELEY – No. 21 USC men's tennis heads north this week as the Trojans take on ITA Kickoff Weekend, hosted by the University of California, Berkeley, Jan. 23-24 at the Hellman Tennis Complex.
No. 21 USC enters the weekend 1-0, most recently falling 5-2 to No. 8 San Diego at Marks Tennis Stadium.
The Trojans revamped roster includes four new spring additions, Andrin Casanova, Branko Djuric, Sklar Phillips and Max Exsted, who bolster the Trojans depth across both singles and doubles play. The newcomers join a core group that has already proven it can compete at a high level, giving USC increased flexibility in its lineup and additional options as the season unfolds.
USC will need to make it past No. 12 UCF to get a chance at qualifying for the upcoming ITA National Team Championships in February. If the Trojans win on Friday, USC will face the winner of the #15 Cal/#17 Oklahoma match.
ITA KICKOFF WEEKEND SCHEDULE
No. 21 USC enters the weekend 1-0, most recently falling 5-2 to No. 8 San Diego at Marks Tennis Stadium.
The Trojans revamped roster includes four new spring additions, Andrin Casanova, Branko Djuric, Sklar Phillips and Max Exsted, who bolster the Trojans depth across both singles and doubles play. The newcomers join a core group that has already proven it can compete at a high level, giving USC increased flexibility in its lineup and additional options as the season unfolds.
USC will need to make it past No. 12 UCF to get a chance at qualifying for the upcoming ITA National Team Championships in February. If the Trojans win on Friday, USC will face the winner of the #15 Cal/#17 Oklahoma match.
ITA KICKOFF WEEKEND SCHEDULE
- Friday, Jan. 23, 11 a.m. – No. 20 USC (2-1) vs. No. 17 UCF (4-0)
- Friday, Jan. 23, 2 p.m. – No. 17 Oklahoma (2-0) vs. #15 Cal (4-0)
- Saturday, Jan. 24, 11 a.m. – Consolation Match
- Saturday, Jan. 24, 2 p.m. – Championship Match
- The ITA Kickoff Weekend is one of the marquee events of the spring season bringing together the top 56 men's and women's college tennis teams for a weekend of intense competition. Hosted by 14 men's and women's programs from across the country, the ITA Kickoff Weekend is an early-season test for teams against programs they might not typically face.
- Not just playing for pride, the stakes will be high for Kickoff Weekend play as all 112 competing teams are looking to be just one of the 14 teams from each gender to advance to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
- Each season, the ITA Kickoff Weekend field is determined by the ITA Kickoff Weekend Draft which is held in the summer months after the dual-match season. The Top 14 ranked teams in the final ITA Rankings of the season will automatically serve as hosts for both men's and women's teams.
- In the draft, teams and coaches have the opportunity to choose where they would like to play. The picks start with the No. 15 ranked team and conclude with the No. 56 ranked team (or until all 56 spots are filled).
- With four teams playing at each host site, the winning teams from the opening round will meet in the second round to determine who advances to the 2026 ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
- The winner of the Berkeley regional will earn a spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships, being held Feb. 13-17 in Waco, Texas
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
/ Men's Tennis
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