Spartans Set to Face No. 17 USC and Xavier in Weekend Slate

EAST LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan State women’s tennis team looks to continue its four-game win streak as it takes on No. 17-ranked Southern California on Friday, Feb. 16 at 5 p.m. The Spartans will then face Xavier on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 11 a.m. Both matches will be held inside the MSU Indoor Tennis Facility.

Fresh off a double-header sweep over Western Michigan (4-0) and Eastern Michigan (4-0) on Feb. 11, Michigan State are winners of four straight victories, a feat it hasn’t accomplished since the 2021-22 season.

Exploding on the scene for the Spartans is freshman Ria Bhakta who leads the team with seven victories and hoists a perfect 7-0 record and leads the team with 4 singles victories and holds an 3-0 record in doubles. Senior Ayshe Can and sophomore Matilde Morais follows behind Bhakta on the singles courts with a 3-0 record through seven duals.

SCOUTING USC

Southern California enters the week ranked No. 17 in the latest ITA rankings with a 5-3 overall record. The Trojans has five individually ranked players with their highest being Emma Charney. Over on the doubles side, USC have two nationally ranked pairings in Eryn Cayetano and Charney at No. 15 and grace Piper and Parker Fry rounding out the list at No. 52.

SERIES HISTORY VS USC

This is the second all time meeting between the MSU and the Trojans. The last time these two programs met was during the 2008-09 season in favor of USC 4-0.

SCOUTING XAVIER

Xavier enters the week with a 5-2 overall record and winners of its last four matches defeating: Toledo (4-3), Indiana (5-2), UConn (7-0) and Boston College (4-3). At the helm for the Musketeers is ninth-year head coach Doug Matthews. In 2023, Matthews led Xavier to its third-straight Big East championships and a berth to the NCAA Championship.

SERIES HISTORY VS XAVIER

This meeting marks the ninth all-time meeting between the Spartans and the Musketeers. Michigan State holds the series lead 7-1. In their last outing during the 2022-23 season, Xavier picked up its first victory over the Green and White 4-3.