Minnesota West Bound for Matchups against USC, UCLA

MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota tennis team will go on the road this weekend as it continues its 2025 conference schedule.
 
The Golden Gophers will travel to Los Angeles, Calif. to face No. 22 USC (9-5) on Saturday, April 5, at 2 p.m. CT, followed by a matchup against No. 24 UCLA (8-7) on Sunday, April 6, at 12 p.m CT.
 
The Season So Far
Minnesota opened the season 8-5 in non-conference play, highlighted by wins over No. 57 Iowa State, Missouri, and Boise State.

Mia Liepert, Aiva Schmitz, and Sofia Pinto led the Gophers during the non-conference schedule, each earning more than six wins.

Minnesota is 1-5 in Big Ten play, earning a 4-0 win over Rutgers while suffering close 4-3 losses to No. 48 Illinois and No. 44 Northwestern.

Last weekend, the Gophers defeated Rutgers 4-0, securing the doubles point for the first time in Big Ten play. Jeselle Ante, Anlin Xie, and Anali Kocevar each earned singles wins in the victory.

Scouting USC

• Minnesota will face USC for the first time in program history on Saturday.
• The Trojans are led by Grace Piper, who is ranked No. 53 in singles and No. 5 in doubles with partner Lily Fairclough.
• USC is 3-3 in Big Ten play with wins over Washington, Oregon, and Michigan State.
• The Trojans have three players ranked in the ITA top 125 in singles: Grace Piper at No. 53, Emma Charney at No. 58, and Imogen Haddad at No. 89.

Scouting UCLA

• Minnesota and UCLA have met four times since 1993. The Bruins have won all four matchups, including a 4-0 victory in their most recent meeting on January 24, 2020.
• The Bruins enter the weekend with a 3-3 record in Big Ten play, including wins over Oregon, Michigan State, and Penn State.
• UCLA is led by Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, who is ranked No. 22 in singles. She is 21-7 on the year with notable wins over USC, Texas, and Pepperdine.
• The Bruins have four players ranked in the ITA top 125 and two doubles pairings in the ITA top 90, including Olivia Center and Kate Fikah, who are ranked No. 3 in doubles.

 
Dynamic Duo
Anali Kocevar and Mia Liepert have won their last four doubles matches at the No. 1 spot, with victories over Iowa, Nebraska, Rutgers, and Maryland. 

The pair leads the team with 10 wins this season as partners, having played at the No. 1 spot all spring for the Gophers.
 
California Alumni Gathering           
Alumni, fans, and friends in Los Angeles join us for an event celebrating the University of Minnesota Tennis Team on the evening of Friday, April 4 at James West Alumni Center on the UCLA campus.
 
This is a free event. Food and drink will be provided. 
 
How to Follow
Fans can follow the weekend's events on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
 
The University of Southern Califronia is scheduled to livestream and live score the match at this link.
 
The University of California Los Angeles is scheduled to live stream and live score the match at this link.
 
Next On The Docket
The Golden Gophers will host Indiana and Purdue at Baseline on April 11 and 13.