LOS ANGELES - Olivia Hauger's three-set singles victory clinched California's eventual 4-3 win over host USC in both teams' Pac-12 opener on Friday at Marks Tennis Stadium.

Cal, ranked seventh in the USTA Top 20 and 12th in the Oracle/ITA Rankings, improved to 7-2 (1-0 in the Pac-12). USC, ranked 15th and 21st in the two polls, fell to 4-4 (0-1 Pac-12).
Hauger, a sophomore ranked 96th, defeated the Trojans' Rianna Valdes, 7-5, 2-6, 6-2, on court three to lift Cal to a match-winning score of 4-2. Cal senior Denise Starr fell to the 38th-ranked Jessica Failla, 6-0, 3-6, 7-6(7), on court two for the final 4-3 result.
 
"It's always good to get the conference schedule started," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "That's what makes the Conference so great – the great battles we have, home or away. Today was another great battle for us. This team competes really hard, and our team competes really hard. We kind of struggled early in the doubles point, with a little bit of rust from not playing last weekend. We figured it out. We did same thing in singles. I'm proud of how the team fought and of the confidence they continue to build in themselves each match that we play."
 
In doubles, the 28th-ranked pair of Hauger and junior Karla Popovic beat Gabby Smith and Madison Westby, 6-4, on court two, and then the 46th-ranked pair of Starr and freshman Alexis Nelson defeated Angela Kulikov and Sydney Van Alphen, 7-6(3), on court three to win the doubles point.
 
Senior Stephane Lin got Cal off to a good start in singles, beating Van Alphen, 6-1, 6-4, on court six to give Cal a 2-0 lead over the Trojans. Maya Jansen followed with a 6-4, 6-3 upset of the 113th-ranked Westby on court four to give Cal a 3-0 lead.
 
But over on court one, the ninth-ranked Popovic suffered just her second singles loss of the season with a 6-2, 7-6(1) result against the 25th-ranked Smith. Cal sophomore Maria Smith then lost to Kulikov, 6-4, 2-6, 6-0, on court five, and the Bears led 3-2, until Hauger clinched for Cal.
 
Of Popovic's play, Augustus said, "Karla is doing fantastic. She's in the top 10 in the country, and we're really proud to see how she's risen. To move into the top 10 in the country after playing on court six last year is remarkable. She'll rebound tomorrow; she competed really hard today. Gabby's a good competitor, and she just had a little bit more today. Karla gave it her best, and she'll be ready to go tomorrow."
 
The Bears next play at UCLA at noon on Saturday.


No. 7/12 California (7-2) defeated No. 15/21 USC (4-4), 4-3
March 10, 2017, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Marks Tennis Stadium

Doubles
1. #75 Failla/Valdes (USC) def. #28 Jansen/Manasse (Cal) – 6-3
2. #23 Hauger/Popovic (Cal) def. Smith/Westby (USC) – 6-4
3. #46 Nelson/Starr (Cal) def. Kulikov/Van Alphen (USC) – 7-6 (3)*

Cal won the doubles point

Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3*

*Clinched the doubles point

Singles
1. #25 Gabby Smith (USC) def. #9 Karla Popovic (Cal) – 6-2, 7-6 (1)
2. #38 Jessica Failla (USC) def. Denise Starr (Cal) – 6-0, 3-6, 7-6 (7)
3. #96 Olivia Hauger (Cal) def. Rianna Valdes (USC) – 7-5, 2-6, 6-2^
4. Maya Jansen (Cal) def. #113 Madison Westby (USC) – 6-4, 6-3
5. Angela Kulikov (USC) def. Maria Smith (Cal) – 6-4, 2-6, 6-0
6. Stephane Lin (Cal) def. Sydney Van Alphen (USC) – 6-1, 6-4

Order of Finish: 6, 4, 1, 5, 3^, 2

^Clinched the overall match