No. 12 USC Men’s Tennis Upsets No. 5 Virginia To Advance To NCAA Quarterfinals

ORLANDO, FLA. — The No. 12 seed USC men's tennis team scored a solid upset win over No. 5 seed Virginia with a 4-2 decision that sends the Trojans through to the NCAA Quarterfinals. In today's Round of 16 bout with the Cavaliers, the Trojans showed no fear, taking the doubles point and then a 2-0 lead in singles. Virginia fought back to tie it, only to see USC dig in and get a gutsy win from freshman Lodewijk Weststrate to set up clincher-extraordinaire Stefan Dostanic with the opportunity to come through in the clutch once again. The sophomore decided things with a three-set victory, improving USC's overall record to 23-6 — most wins in a season for the Trojans since 2017 — and setting up a quarterfinal date for Thursday (May 20) against Texas out at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.

USC collected the doubles point with a tiebreaker win on court two from Stefan Dostanic and Bradley Frye, who battled back from a two-point hole in the breaker to secure the 1-0 lead for USC on their 7-6 (5) win. That victory had followed Daniel Cukierman and Riley Smith's 6-4 win on court one, and suspended action for USC's Ryder Jackson and Jake Sands on court three, where they were up 6-5 on their Cavalier foes.

In singles, USC snagged the first sets on four courts. At the No. 2 spot, #52 senior Riley Smith gave his Trojans a boost to a 2-0 lead with his solid 6-2, 7-5 win over Virginia's 44 Jeffrey von der Schulenberg. The Cavaliers would climb back into the picture, however, netting wins on courts six and four next to tangle up the score at 2-2. On court six, Gianni Ross fended off USC's Jake Sands 6-4, 7-5, and then on court four USC's Bradley Frye was upended by #61 Inaki Montes de la Torre 7-6 (4), 6-2. 

With the score snarled up, USC freshman Lodewijk Weststrate got his team a leg up when he dispatched #106 Ryan Goetz with a 6-3, 7-5 decision to make it a 3-2 USC lead and put the No. 12 seeded Trojans in position for the upset win. At the top spot, USC's #49 Daniel Cukierman was pushed to a third set by Virginia's #7 Carl Soderlund, while Trojan sophomore #116 Stefan Dostanic was making moves in his third set on court three. With clinching experience in two of USC's last three matches, Dostanic was well suited to put this one on his shoulders. He'd clean up with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 win over Chris Rodesch to make it 4-2 and send the Trojans along through to the NCAA Quarterfinals.

The USC-Texas quarterfinal clash presents a rematch of a collision between the Trojans and Longhorns out at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship earlier this year. USC will be looking to avenge a 4-3 loss taken to Texas in  the consolation semifinals there while also aiming to reach the NCAA Semifinals for the first time since 2014 — when USC last won the NCAA Title.

2021 NCAA Team Championship

ROUND OF 16
[12] USC 4, [5] Virginia 2
May 17, 2021 | USTA National Campus (Orlando, Fla.)
DOUBLES
(1) #10 Cukierman/R. Smith (USC) def. #14 Soderlund/Woodall (UVA) - 6-4
(2) Dostanic/Frye (USC) def. #89 Goetz/Rodesch (UVA) - 7-6 (5)
(3) Jackson/Sands (USC) vs. Montes de la Torre/von der Schulenberg (UVA) -  6-5 susp.
Order of finish: 1, 2
USC wins doubles point.
SINGLES
(1) #49 Daniel Cukierman (USC) vs. #7 Carl Soderlund (UVA) - 6-4, 6-7 (2), 0-1 susp.
(2) #52 Riley Smith (USC) def. #44 Jeffrey von der Schulenberg (UVA) - 6-2, 7-5
(3) #116 Stefan Dostanic (USC) def. Chris Rodesch (UVA) - 6-3, 5-7, 6-2*
(4) #61 Inaki Montes de la Torre (UVA) def. Bradley Frye (USC) -  7-6 (4), 6-2
(5) Lodewijk Weststrate (USC) def. #106 Ryan Goetz (UVA) - 6-3, 7-5
(6) Gianni Ross (UVA) def. Jake Sands (USC) - 6-4, 7-5
Order of finish: 2, 6, 4, 5, 3*