Last month, the Trojans saw one player earn a spot in the NCAA Individual Championships at the All-American ITA Championships. USC men’s tennis hopes to continue early success this week at the Southwest ITA Regionals from Oct. 15 to Oct. 20.
Taking place at Pepperdine University, the top Division I players from the Southwest region of the country will head to the clifftops of Malibu, competing in a 32-player pool.
Five Trojans will be playing in Malibu. Juniors Nathan Trouve, Matteo Morazzi, Connor Church, Niels Hoffmann and Andrin Casanova are all playing to earn their spot in the NCAA singles and doubles championships in late November.
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Trojans coming off early-season success
Leading up to this tournament, the Trojans have played in three tournaments: the ITA All-American Championships, the Sherwood Collegiate Cup and the UCSB Classic. USC found success in all three tournaments.
In the All-American Championships, sophomore Max Exsted secured his spot in the NCAA singles and doubles championships with a run to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, the other Trojan in the tournament, Trouve, stumbled after the first round and lost to Texas freshman Tomasz Berkieta. In doubles, USC struggled, with Exsted and Trouve losing in the first round.
Following the tournament, the team headed to the Sherwood Country Club to play in the Sherwood Collegiate Cup, a team event with eleven squads, where they tied in the Gold Draw Final with LMU, three wins apiece.
Next for USC was the UCSB Classic, where a doubles pairing of Matteo Morazzi and Connor Church competed. This tournament marked the return of Morazzi after missing the 2026 spring team season due to injury.
“The fall season has been a very positive one with Max and Nathan going to All-Americans and having a great showing there,” Head Coach Brett Masi said in an interview with the Daily Trojan Oct. 13. “[USC] got good quality matches and some match toughness that they might need for the rest of the fall, as well as going into the regionals.”
High-ranking opponents loom large
Coming into the regional tournament, Trouve likely looks to bounce back from his disappointing performance in the season-opening tournament in Tulsa.
“Going into the regionals,” Masi said, “is the time when you want to put your best foot forward in regard to the rest of the region, with the other Southern California schools.”
Trouve has the skills to succeed in this tournament, sitting in the top 50 of the ITA college rankings. Trouve is the highest-ranked Trojan at No. 40, while Casanova is ranked No. 106.
Most likely standing in their way, though, is an opponent hailing from cross-town rival UCLA: fifth-year Emon van Loben Sels, ranked No. 22. Van Loben Sels will not be the only Bruin with a chance at winning in this tournament, as UCLA also brings junior Rudy Quan, ranked No. 49. Both players played and struggled in Tulsa, and will assuredly be striving to leave those woes in the past.
Pepperdine also boasts two competing players ranked in the top 100. Junior Lasse Poertner leads the way at No. 69, while junior Aleksa Pisaric is not far behind at No. 72.
It is unlikely these two would greatly threaten the Trojans, given that neither player made the main draw in Tulsa. However, No. 104-ranked Wake Forest sophomore Dominick Mosejczuk beat Exsted in the quarterfinals.
One of the draws of this tournament is the chance to qualify for the NCAA singles and doubles championships in November. Exsted has already secured his spot in Georgia, while Trouve and the other Trojans hope to follow suit.
“It’s a great opportunity to qualify for the NCAA [championships],” Masi said. “Hopefully we can play some good tennis going into Malibu this weekend.”
USC will kickstart the Southwest ITA Regionals in Malibu from Oct. 15 to Oct. 20.