Michigan to Make West Coast Trip to UCLA, USC

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 21-ranked University of Michigan men's tennis team (14-8, 8-2 Big Ten) makes its first trip out west to face new Big Ten opponents UCLA (9-8, 7-2 Big Ten) and USC (12-7, 6-3 Big Ten) this weekend. The Wolverines take on the Bruins on Friday (April 11) at 2 p.m. PT inside the Los Angeles Tennis Center and the Trojans on Sunday (April 13) at noon PT at David X. Marks Tennis Stadium.

Notes

• Michigan owns a 14-8 overall record and is on a three-match win streak, taking all by 4-0 decisions. With an 8-2 Big Ten mark, U-M is in second place in the conference rankings with three matches remaining.

• Gavin Young (No. 54), Benjamin Kittay (68) and Will Cooksey (80) each moved up in the national singles rankings this past week. Young and Kittay continue to be ranked in doubles at No. 17.

• Cooksey went 3-0 last weekend, winning his singles match at the No. 1 position, his fourth consecutive win. The win also marked his team-leading 20th. Cooksey also won both of his doubles matches with partner Alex Cairo.

• The longest win streak on the team belongs to junior Bjorn Swenson, who has won his last six matches dating back to March 16. He is two wins away from tying his career-best record of eight straight.

• Swenson's winning ways stretch to doubles, as he is on a career-best seven-match win streak with three different partners (Young, Kittay and Mert Oral). Swenson is 7-0 in the league and 13-4 overall in doubles play this season.

• Doubles play has been a strength for the Wolverines, as they have taken the doubles point in the last five matches, including against No. 3 Ohio State. Michigan is 8-4 when winning the point and is 6-4 when it does not.

• UCLA is 9-8 overall and 7-2 in its first season in the Big Ten, with its two losses coming against travel partner USC and Ohio State. The Bruins are right behind Michigan and Michigan State in the league standings in fourth place with four matches remaining. The program has four ranked singles players: Spencer Johnson (24), Rudy Quan (34), Emon Van Loben Sels (87), Aardarsh Tripathi (113) and one ranked doubles pair Aadarsh Tripathi/Alexander Hoogmartens (27).

• USC sits just outside the top 25 (No. 26) in the ITA national rankings with a 12-7 record entering the weekend. The Trojans are 6-3 in conference play, with losses to Illinois, Washington, and Ohio State to sit fifth in the standings. Peter Makk (23) is USC's lone ranked singles player.

• Michigan is looking for its first win over UCLA in series history as the Bruins hold a 6-0 advantage. The last time the teams met was in the 2018 NCAAs, where UCLA won 4-2 in the round of 16 to end the Wolverines' season.

• Michigan has faced USC three times since 2020. In 2023, the Wolverines outlasted the Trojans with Ondrej Styler defeating Stefan Dostanic in a third-set tiebreaker at No. 1 singles to send the Wolverines to the Elite Eight. All-time, USC is 8-3 against Michigan.