USC senior Giuliana Olmos got a hot start to the spring season with a powerful push to both title matches at the Freeman Memorial in Las Vegas this week. Olmos reached the singles final and stormed to the doubles final alongside sophomore teammate Gabby Smith, ultimately falling to the top seeds in both draws in today’s title matches.

Olmos was joined in the singles draw by Smith and freshman Jessica Failla. Smith would snag a win in her first singles match before falling to the No. 4 seeded player from Duke in the Round of 16. Failla lost in her first main draw match, but did pick up a win in an added match later at the event. Meanwhile, seeded No. 5 in the singles draw and ranked #42 in the nation, Olmos pinned up straight-set wins over her first three opponents – two of whom were ranked in the top-88 – before gutting out a tense 6-7, 7-6, 7-6 comeback win in the semifinals to reach the final. There, Olmos was up against top-seeded and #6-ranked Hayley Carter of UNC, and Olmos would take her first loss of the spring to finish as runner-up in the singles draw.

In doubles, Olmos was paired with sophomore Gabby Smith, seeded No. 2 in the doubles draw and ranked #4 in the nation. The Trojan pair served up three wins, including a tight 7-6 win over a team from Stanford in the semifinals, to put Olmos in another title match in Las Vegas. There, Olmos and Smith were up against the top seeds, #2-ranked Carter/Kay of UNC, and the Tarheels were able to capture the title with a 6-3 decision.

Also in action this weekend were three more Women of Troy out at the National Collegiate Tennis Classic in Rancho Mirage, Calif. There, sophomore Madison Westby and freshman Rianna Valdez are both able to snag wins in the first two rounds before falling in the quarterfinals. Those two also paired up in the doubles draw, registering an opening victory before a loss in the next round.

The USC women now return home to play their first dual match of the year. The No. 2 Women of Troy will host UC Santa Barbara at 1 p.m. on Wednesday (Jan. 20) at Marks Stadium.

FREEMAN MEMORIAL (Las Vegas, Nev.)

FLIGHT ONE SINGLES
First Round – Jan. 15
Gabby Smith (USC) def. Kimberly Yee (STAN) – 6-0, 2-0 ret.
[5] #42 Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. Alyssa Smith (DUKE) – 6-1, 6-3
[8] #68 Jessie Aney (UNC) def. #76 Jessica Failla (USC) – 6-3, 6-1

Round of 16 – Jan. 15
[4] #29 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DUKE) def. Gabby Smith (USC) – 6-3, 7-6
[5] #42 Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. #88 Whitney Kay (UNC) – 6-0, 6-1

Quarterfinals – Jan. 16
[5] #42 Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. #73 Spencer Liang (FLA) – 6-2, 6-2

Semifinals – Jan. 16
[5] #42 Giuliana Olmos (USC) def. #110 Anna Danilina (FLA) – 6-7, 7-6, 7-6

Championship – Jan. 17
[1] #6 Hayley Carter (UNC) def. [5] #42 Giuliana Olmos (USC) – 6-1, 7-6

CONSOLATION SINGLES
Jessica Ho (DUKE) def. #76 Jessica Failla (USC) – 7-5, 6-2

DOUBLES
First Round – Jan. 15
[2] #4 Olmos/Smith (USC) def. Scholl/Smith (DUKE) – 6-3

Quarterfinals – Jan. 16
[2] #4 Olmos/Smith (USC) def. Miller/Wiley (UCLA) – 6-4

Semifinals – Jan. 17
[2] #4 Olmos/Smith (USC) def. Lord/Yee (STAN) – 7-6

Championship – Jan. 17
[1] #2 Carter/Kay (UNC) def. [2] #4 Olmos/Smith (USC) – 6-3

ADDED MATCHES
#76 Jessica Failla (USC) def. #79 Chalena Scholl (DUKE) – 6-2, 6-2
#25 Kourtney Keegan (FLA) def. #76 Jessica Failla (USC) – 6-4, 2-6, 1-0 (10-5)

NATIONAL COLLEGIATE TENNIS CLASSIC (Rancho Mirage, Calif.)

SINGLES
First Round – Jan. 15
K. Jump (ASU) def. Meredith Xepoleas (USC) – 5-0 (ret.)
Madison Westby (USC) def. C. Westbrook- 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2
Rianna Valdez (USC) def. S. Rush (USD) – 6-0, 6-0

Second Round – Jan. 15
Madison Westby (USC) def. D. Spinosa (USD) – 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Rianna Valdez (USC) def. S. Chow (USD) – 6-2, 6-2

Quarterfinals – Jan. 16
C. Doyle (STAN) def. Madison Westby (USC) – 6-2, 6-3
Lauren Marker (ARIZ) def. Rianna Valdez (USC) – 6-2, 4-1 ret.

DOUBLES
First Round – Jan. 15
Westby/Valdez (USC) def. Chow/Stojanovic (USD) – 6-2

Quarterfinals – Jan. 16
Austin/Marker (ARIZ) def. Westby/Valdez (USC) – 6-4