Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
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Spartan Women’s Tennis to Tangle With Two West Coast Opponents At Home This Weekend
3/19/2026 8:45:00 PM | Women's Tennis
MSU welcomes USC and UCLA to East Lansing for the first time since they joined the Big Ten for conference action.
***NOTE: Michigan State University is hosting the MHSAA Girls Basketball Tournament at Breslin Center on Friday and Saturday, as well as Spartan baseball and softball have home events, so women's tennis fans are encouraged to arrive early due to additional traffic on campus Fans and officials attending Saturday's match are encouraged to park at Ramp 5 (by the MSU Communication Arts and Sciences building) due to Lot 79, and other parking lots around the Breslin Center and Jenison Field House are pass only. MSU Interactive Parking Map ***
EAST LANSING, Mich. — No. 65-ranked Michigan State women's tennis welcomes two Big Ten Conference opponents from the West Coast this weekend, hosting USC on Saturday, March 21, at 12 p.m. and UCLA on Sunday, March 22, at 12 p.m. Both matches are currently slated to be played at the new Spartan Tennis Outdoor Courts (weather permitting).
Fans and officials attending Saturday's match are encouraged to park at Ramp 5 (by the MSU Communication Arts and Sciences building) due to Lot 79 being unavailable due to the ongoing MSHAA competition.
Fans can stay tuned to MSUSpartans.com and @msu_wtennis on X/Twitter for schedule and location updates.
This weekend's pair of matches follows the Spartans' two home-opening conference matches against Iowa and Nebraska.
While the Green & White was able to upset No. 38 Iowa in a 4-2 triumph, the team ultimately fell to Nebraska in a narrow, 4-3, defeat.
MSU comes into the weekend with an 8-6 overall and a 1-3 conference record.
The team earned its first ranking of the season by the ITA, standing at No. 65.
The sophomore/senior pairing of Ellie Blackford/Matilde Morais also earned themselves a No. 57 doubles ranking after defeating the No. 25-ranked Iowa tandem of Daianne Hayashida/Mia Mack.
Scouting USC
The Trojans currently stand undefeated in Big Ten conference play, knocking off Minnesota, Wisconsin, Penn State and No. 2-ranked Ohio State, whom MSU recently fell to.
Overall, USC stands at 11-4, falling to only top-twenty ranked teams.
USC has earned an overall No. 8 ranking by the ITA, with three singles players and doubles duos earning themselves a spot in the rankings.
Series History vs. USC
The Spartans have struggled in their dual matches against the Trojans, earning an 0-4 record against the tough competitors.
Most recently, MSU faced USC in a neutral match battle during the Big Ten Tennis Tournament, where sophomore Amara Brahmbhatt was the only Spartan to put up a point against USC, with the Green & White falling 4-1.
USC has not traveled to East Lansing since the 2023-24 season, where they also defeated the Spartans 4-0.
Michigan State looks for its first dual match wins against the Trojans during their first outdoor match of the season.
Scouting UCLA
UCLA earns an 8-4 overall record and a 2-2 conference record, falling to Wisconsin and Ohio State.
The Bruins had a tough start to their schedule, facing seven top-25-ranked opponents. Despite their schedule proving difficult, UCLA fought to a 4-3 record.
Three Bruins have earned themselves positions within the top 120-ranked singles players by the ITA, and one doubles pair stands ranked at No. 33.
Series History vs. UCLA
The Spartans have competed against the Bruins just twice throughout both of their programs' histories, with the most recent match taking place during the 2024-25 season.
During their last match, MSU fell in a 4-0 deficit in the Bruins' home territory, solidifying UCLA's dominating presence in the Big Ten conference.
Overall, the Green & White is 0-2 versus UCLA, and search for their first victory against the tough team this weekend.
Up Next
The Spartans travel north to begin a four-game road stretch, facing Wisconsin on Friday, March 27 at 4 p.m. ET and Minnesota on Sunday, March 29 at 1 p.m. ET.
Fans can keep up to date with MSU women's tennis by following them on Instagram, X and Facebook @msu_wtennis.
