Colorado University Athletics

Tennis Hosts No. 1 UCLA, No. 10 USC This Weekend

Tennis Hosts No. 1 UCLA, No. 10 USC This Weekend

BOULDER GÇô The University of Colorado womenGÇÖs tennis team ranked No. 62 nationally will battle No. 10 USC this Friday, March 14 (1 p.m.) and No. 1 UCLA on Sunday (10 a.m.).

Both matches are scheduled to be played at the South Campus Tennis Courts. In case of inclement weather the matches will be moved to the Rocky Mountain Tennis Center (Millennium Hotel Harvest Bubble). Parking and Admission are free at both venues.

The Buffaloes (7-6, 0-2 Pac-12) started conference season on the road falling in both matches at Washington State (4-2) and Oregon (4-3). The two-match losing streak is the longest of the season.

CU enters the week with three players having 16 or more victories on the season. Alex Aiello tops the Buffaloes with 19, followed by Nuria Orme+¦o Ruiz with 18, and Julyette Steur with 16. In doubles, Steur and Ashley Tiefel lead CU in doubles victories with 14 this season, including 10 this spring.

CU last faced at No. 1 ranked team back on March 23, 2012 against UCLA in Boulder. The Bruins took a 5-2 win. Julyette Steur and Carla Manzi Tenorio claimed wins at No. 2 and No. 4 singles, respectively.  CU has never defeated a ranked Top-10 in its history since 1996 (0-24) and is 0-2 against the No. 1 ranked team in the country (Baylor).

USC (9-4, 0-0 Pac-12) enters the week as the No. 10 ranked team nationally and has four players ranked this week in the latest ITA Top-125 singles rankings: Sabrina Santamaria (#17), Zo+½ Scandalis (#25), Giuliana Olmos (#71), Zo+½ Katz (#76). In doubles, the Trojans have three tandems among the Top-75: Zo+½ Scandalis/Giuliana Olmos (#5); Brynn Boren/Zo+½ Katz (#16); Kaitlyn Christian/Sabrina Santamaria (#26).

USC enters FridayGÇÖs match on two-match losing streak with back-to-back home losses to UCLA and Baylor. Two of the four losses are from UCLA. The Trojans lead the all-time series with CU, 6-0, including a pair in Pac-12 play.

On Sunday, CU hosts the No. 1 team in nation, the UCLA Bruins (12-1, 0-0 Pac-12). UCLA has five ranked singles players, all in Top-50: Robin Anderson (#4), Chanelle Van Nguyen (#9), Jennifer Brady (#16), Kyle McPhillips (#35), Catherine Harrison (#49).

In doubles, the Bruins boast the nationGÇÖs No. 1 ranked duo with Jennifer Brady/Robin Anderson, in addition to Catherine Harrison/Kyle McPhillips (#6), and Jennifer Brady/Catherine Harrison (#21).

UCLA leads the all-time series with CU, holding a 3-0 edge with the last two matches coming in Pac-12 play. After the Buffs-Bruins match on Sunday, CU will be hosting a Campus KidsGÇÖ Day clinic. The clinic will take place for 90 minutes at the South Campus Courts and is designed to expose more junior players (and their parents and coaches) to college tennis varsity team matches.

College coaches will select a team match that junior players and tennis fans in the local community are encouraged to attend. Attendance, refreshments, and promotions are free for all attending juniors! Campus KidsGÇÖ Days and any promotions are open to ALL attending.

In addition, a variety of promotional activities for fans such as raffles, exhibition matches, fast serve contests, autograph signings. The Campus KidsGÇÖ Days clinic will not take place if the CU/UCLA match is moved indoors due to inclement weather.