The recently crowned Big West Champion Cal Poly Women’s Tennis has a new, larger goal in sight: the NCAA Championships and first-round opponent USC.
The NCAA announced in an April 29 selection show that the Mustangs will face the No. 11 seed Trojans at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 3, in Los Angeles.
The team received the news at a watch party held at the Swanson Beach Volleyball Complex at Cal Poly.
Just two days earlier, they beat Cal State Fullerton, 4-3, to secure their first Big West Championship since 2003 and their second in program history.
The Mustangs last participated in the NCAA Championships in 2011, when they fell to Oklahoma in the opening round. This is the third time the team has made the tournament in program history.
The Mustangs finished their season with a record of 13-8-1 after their win over Fullerton. The Trojans hold a record of 18-8 on the season.
The victor in the first round will move on to face the winner of No. 23 ranked San Diego and No. 58 ranked Grand Canyon in round two.
The last time the Mustangs faced the Trojans was in 2022 when the Trojans got the best of them by a score of 4-2. Current players on that team include graduate student Melissa LaMette, who secured the winning point in this year’s Big West Championship.
Other standouts for the Mustangs include the pairing of fifth-year Delanie Dunkle and her younger sister junior Peyton Dunkle, who recently tied the record for most career dual-doubles victories in program history with 54.
They will be looking to continue their momentum on the big stage on May 3, at USC’s home Marks Stadium.