The excitement continues to build with the NCAA tournament just weeks ago, and UTR Sports is highlighting key match-ups of the 2024 college season by honoring them as UTR Sports College Match Days.
Stanford Women Gain Momentum
In a battle between two of the Top 5 women’s teams in the country, the Stanford Cardinal (65.63 UTR Power 6) erased a three-match losing streak against the Pepperdine Waves (64.35) to kick off the UTR Sports College Match Day series earlier this month on April 5. After splitting No. 3 and No. 1 doubles, Stanford won the doubles point with a close 7-5 victory at the No. 2 spot to gain a 1-0 lead at home.
Stanford, the all-time leaders in NCAA team championships history (with 20 titles), then picked up three straight-set singles wins to earn a 4-0 sweep over the Waves in their final non-conference match of the season.
North Carolina Women Stay on Top of ACC
On the East Coast, also on April 5, defending women’s NCAA champions North Carolina Tar Heels (65.92) put on a dominant display in singles over conference foe Virginia Cavaliers (62.77) at home after dropping the doubles point. The two teams traded doubles sets before the Cavaliers sealed the doubles point with a 6-4 win at the No. 2 spot. The Tar Heels responded with straight-set wins at the top three singles spots as well as at No. 5 and were a game away from winning at No. 6, taking the dual match 4-1.
This victory propelled North Carolina to the top of the ACC standings but also served as redemption for their 4-0 loss to Virginia earlier this season in the consolation match of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship.
Rivalries Renewed in the Big 10
Last Sunday, during a weekend packed with pivotal matchups, the Ohio State Buckeyes (82.45) clashed with the Michigan State Spartans (78.55). Despite the 4-0 victory at home for Ohio State, the match was a fierce battle, with Michigan State pushing the Buckeyes to a third set on four of the six singles courts. With the statement win, the top-ranked Buckeyes now set the stage as the leading seeds for the upcoming Big 10 Tournament, pending showdowns with Wisconsin and Nebraska this weekend.
Kentucky Men Secures SEC Regular Season Title with Wine
In an SEC showdown on April 14, the University of Kentucky Jayhawks (78.89) men’s team clinched the season title in a nail-biting clash against the University of Tennessee Volunteers (79.94). The thrilling 3.5-hour battle in Lexington saw the doubles point decided by a tiebreak at the No. 3 spot, with the Kentucky Wildcats prevailing 7-5 to lead 1-0 going into singles play. Despite the Volunteers grabbing quick wins at the No. 1 and No. 6 spots, the Wildcats fought back with a straight-set victory at the No. 4 spot, leveling the match.
As tension mounted, the teams traded three-set triumphs at No. 2 and No. 3, setting the stage for an all-freshmen showdown on Court No. 5. Kentucky’s Jack Loutit (UTR Rating 13.28) clinched a dramatic 6-4 victory in the third set to seal the 4-3 win for the Wildcats. Notably, the player with the higher UTR Rating emerged victorious in all six singles matches.
The Battle of the Ivy League
In last weekend’s ultimate showdown, the Ivy League’s witnessed a clash of titans as Harvard (79.27) and Columbia (79.96) battled it out for the conference’s men’s top spot. The Lions struck first, securing the doubles point, a departure from their previous encounter in February at the ITA National Team Indoor Championship, where the Crimson grabbed the doubles point.
Columbia took advantage of Harvard at the bottom of the lineup, conceding only two games between the No. 5 and No. 5 spots to get a 3-0 lead. Harvard managed to notch a point with a win on Court No. 4 before Columbia sealed another straight-set win at No. 3 to clinch the match. The Crimson rallied late with wins at No. 1 and No. 2 spots, but the final score favored the Lions 4-3.
Don’t Miss the Final College Match Day of 2024
The final showdown of this season’s UTR Sports College Match Day events features a Los Angeles rivalry between USC (62.88) and UCLA (63.81), with the women’s Pac-12 regular season title on the line. Along with California (63.99), all three teams are tied at the top of the standings with 8-1 conference records. The California Bears take on the Stanford Cardinal on the same day at the same time over in Berkeley, Calif.
In Los Angeles on Friday, with the Trojans hosting the Bruins (UCLA defeated USC 5-2 at home last month), the home advantage could be pivotal — all five of the UTR Sports College Match Day battles this season have been won by the home team!