UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- The Penn State men's tennis team is ready to welcome new Big Ten opponents USC and UCLA, along with non-conference Mercyhurst. The match against USC will be held on Friday, Apr. 4 at 4 p.m. The Sunday, Apr. 6 match will feature a doubleheader, starting with UCLA at 11 a.m. and closing with Mercyhurst at 4 p.m.
The match against USC on Friday will feature a pizza giveaway to fans, and the match against UCLA on Sunday will include a cookie giveaway to fans. Both promotions will occur after the doubles matches conclude.
THE NITTANY LIONS
After defeating Michigan State’s No. 5 Ozan Baris, Loren Byers jumped up in the ITA Poll to No. 51 heading into this weekend. Penn State looks to earn wins over new Big Ten opponents, USC and UCLA, as well as against Mercyhurst.
SCOUTING THE TROJANS
USC stands at the No. 30 spot with an 11-6 (5-2) record on the year. Big Ten losses include then-ranked No. 23 Illinois and then-ranked No. 47 Washington. Peter Makk is the only ranked player on the roster, holding the No. 26 spot in singles.
The Nittany Lions and the Trojans have only played one match in history against each other, resulting in a 4-0 USC win in 2015.
EYEING UCLA
The Bruins are set to play No. 3 Ohio State before entering Happy Valley with a ranking at No. 27. They are currently 8-7 (6-1) with their only Big Ten loss to then-ranked No. 30 USC. The Bruins hold five ranked positions on their roster, including No. 19 Spencer Johnson, No. 34 Rudy Quan, No. 84 Emon Van Loben Sels and No. 118 Aadarsh Tripathi in singles, and doubles duo Tripathi and Alexander Hoogmartens at No. 27.
This will be the first time both teams play each other.
LOOKING AT THE LAKERS
Mercyhurst holds a 3-9 record on the season. The Lakers are set to play at Cleveland State on Saturday before travelling to take on the Nittany Lions. Historically, Penn State holds a 9-1 lead over Mercyhurst.
UP NEXT
Following the weekend at home, the Nittany Lions will travel one last time in the regular season to face No. 24 Illinois on Friday Apr. 11 at 1 p.m. ET and No. 66 Northwestern on Sunday Apr. 13 at 1 p.m. ET.
Visit GoPSUsports.com for more updates on the Nittany Lion's season. Follow the team on Instagram @pennstatemtennis and on X @pennstateMTEN for more continued updates.