USC Captures Men’s National Championship; UCLA Takes Women’s Title

May 21, 2014 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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The University of Southern California Trojans men’s tennis team won its fifth title in six years, defeating the Oklahoma Sooners 4-2 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex at the University of Georgia.

The Trojans have dominated the men’s tennis world in recent years under the helm of head coach Peter Smith, and the title is the 21st in the program’s history.

“We’ve had so many great players, and it’s amazing to see a new group stepping up,” said Smith. “Winning one of these is so hard.”

The match was clinched at fourth-singles, as USC’s Max de Vromme held serve and smashed a backhand volley to beat Andrew Harris in the deciding contest.

The Sooners of Oklahoma actually held a 2-0 lead after Dane Webb picked up the victory at third singles, but squandered a golden opportunity as the Trojans regained momentum in the other three singles bouts.

Yannick Hanfmann, Ray Sarmiento and Eric Johnson all notched victories in their respective single matchups which gave USC the 3-2 lead.

Sarmiento is one of the leaders of the team and was a sophomore when the team won the National Championship two years ago. The senior did not lose a set in this tournament after the round of 16, putting together a dominant string of performances.

“I dug myself a pretty good hole at the beginning,” said Sarmiento. “But since day one, coaches have emphasized to leave it all on the court and whatever happens happens, so I just competed my butt off.”

On the women’s side, the UCLA Bruins captured its second national title by beating the University of North Carolina Tar Heels 4-3.

The deciding match came at the final singles bout as sophomore Kyle McPhillips of UCLA took on North Carolina’s Caroline Price. McPhillips, who has tasted individual success competing at all four junior grand slam tournaments, held off Price to pick up the 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory and clinch the championship for the Bruins.

“Winning individually is so different than winning for your team and your school,” said McPhillips. “There’s been so much effort by people and hard work that’s gone into this moment right here that this is the highlight of my tennis career.”

The victory for McPhillips wasn’t easy, as Price fought off four match point opportunities to keep the match alive. When her last volley sailed deep, the Bruins were able to exhale and mobbed the 20-year old McPhillips on the court.

The championship caps off a fantastic season that saw the Bruins drop only two matches all year. It is the second national title in the program’s history, with the first one coming back in 2008.


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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