Trojans Take Down Pepperdine in Top-25 Clash, Clinch 4-2 Victory at Home
LOS ANGELES - On a crisp Friday afternoon at Marks Tennis Stadium, the No. 21 USC Trojans showed why they’re a team to watch this season, grinding out a 4-2 win over No.
24 Pepperdine in a tightly contested top-25 matchup. With the victory, USC moves to 7-3 on the year and notches its third win over a ranked opponent-another strong step forward for a squad finding its stride early in the spring season.
Doubles Set the Tone Early
As is often the case in college tennis, the doubles point set the tone-and USC wasted no time asserting itself. The top duo of Andrin Casanova and Jack McCarthy came out firing, rolling to a 6-2 win over Pepperdine’s Lasse Poertner and Aleksa Pisaric. Casanova and McCarthy looked locked in from the first serve, controlling the net and dictating pace with sharp returns and confident volleys.
The clincher came at court three, where Max Exsted and Nathan Trouve gutted out a tiebreak win, 7-6 (3), over Maxi Homberg and Gustavo Ribeiro De Almeida. It wasn’t easy-Pepperdine pushed hard-but the Trojans held their nerve in the big moments. The match at No. 2 was left unfinished at 6-6 (4-2), but USC was in control there too, reinforcing just how strong the Trojans were across the doubles lineup.
Singles: Casanova Cruises, Trouve Closes
USC carried that early momentum into singles, and it was Casanova again making noise-this time on court six. The freshman wasted no time dismantling Hugh Winter in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1. It was a statement performance, and it gave USC a quick 2-0 lead.
Pepperdine answered back at the top spot. Edward Winter, the Waves’ No. 1, took down Branko Djuric 6-2, 7-5 in a battle of big hitters. That win cut the lead to 2-1 and gave Pepperdine a foothold in the match.
But USC responded with poise. Niels Hoffman delivered a composed effort at No. 5, taking the first set comfortably and then holding off a late push to win 6-1, 7-6 (2) over Ribeiro De Almeida. That made it 3-1 Trojans and put the pressure squarely back on the visitors.
Pepperdine wasn’t done yet. At No.
3, Lasse Poertner, ranked No. 100 nationally, showed his class with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 win over McCarthy. The Waves were back within one, and suddenly, it was a race to the finish.
That’s when Nathan Trouve stepped up.
Locked in a three-set battle on court two, Trouve showed the kind of grit coaches love to see in a clinching scenario. After taking the first set 6-3, he dropped the second 3-6 but bounced back with a calm, clinical 6-3 third set to close out the match-and the dual-for USC.
The final singles match on court four between Exsted and Pisaric was left unfinished with Exsted leading 4-6, 6-3, 3-2. But by then, the job was done.
What This Win Means
This was a big one for USC-not just because it came against a ranked opponent, but because of how the Trojans got it done. From top to bottom, the team showed depth, resilience, and a growing confidence that could make them dangerous as the season unfolds. Casanova continues to shine in both singles and doubles, while Trouve’s ability to close under pressure speaks volumes about his maturity on court.
For a team with postseason aspirations, these are the types of matches that build belief. The Trojans are trending in the right direction-and Friday’s win might just be the latest sign that this group is starting to click.
#21 USC 4, #24 Pepperdine 2
Friday, Feb. 13 | Los Angeles, Calif. - Marks Tennis Stadium
DOUBLES
1.
Casanova/McCarthy (USC) def. Poertner/Pisaric (PEPP) - 6-2
- Church/Djuric (USC) vs.
E. Winter/H.
Winter (PEPP) - 6-6 (4-2), unfinished
3.
Exsted/Trouve (USC) def. Homberg/Ribeiro De Almeida (PEPP) - 7-6 (3)
USC wins doubles point
Order of finish: 1, 3
SINGLES
1.
E. Winter (PEPP) def.
Djuric (USC) - 6-2, 7-5
2.
Trouve (USC) def. Pisaric (PEPP) - 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
- Poertner (PEPP) def.
McCarthy (USC) - 7-6 (3), 6-2
4.
Exsted (USC) vs. Pisaric (PEPP) - 4-6, 6-3, 3-2, unfinished
- Hoffman (USC) def.
Ribeiro De Almeida (PEPP) - 6-1, 7-6 (2)
6.
Casanova (USC) def. H.
Winter (PEPP) - 6-0, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 1, 5, 3, 2*
Clinched match for USC