THIS WEEK: The Washington State women's tennis team returns to Pullman to host Pac-12 Conference foes USC and UCLA this weekend. The Cougars open against No. 39 USC, Friday, March 31 at 1:30 p.m. at the Simmelink Tennis Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse. The weekend concludes when WSU faces No. 20 UCLA, Sunday, April 2 at 10 a.m. The Cougars enter the week with a 9-8 overall record, 0-3 in Pac-12 play, looking to snap a five-match skid. USC enters the match with a No. 39 national ranking and a 5-7 record, 0-3 in conference action while UCLA, ranked No. 20, enters the weekend with an 8-5 record, 2-1 in Pac-12 play.

WASHINGTON STATE/USC HISTORY: The Cougars are looking for their first win against the Trojans and are 0-22 in the all-time series. Last season USC captured a 5-1 victory in Los Angeles. The Trojan lineup boats three players with national singles rankings: No. 20 Gabby Smith; No. 47 Jessica Failla; and No. 96 Zoe Katz. USC also has four doubles teams in the national rankings: No. 33 Rianna Valdes and Failla; No. 34 Katz and Smith; No. 67 Angela Kulikov and Madison Westby; and No. 74 Valdes and Madison Westby.

WASHINGTON STATE/UCLA HISTORY: UCLA leads the all-time series, 22-1, with the Cougars' lone win coming during the 2001 season. Last year the Bruins captured a 6-1 victory in Los Angeles. UCLA enters this year's match with two players ranked nationally: No. 3 Ena Shibahara and No. 88 Jada Hart.  Those same two players combine to form the nation's No. 6-ranked doubles team while Hart and Terri Fleming are ranked No. 22. Also ranked for UCLA is the pair of Gabby Andrews and Alaina Miller, ranked No. 62.

UP NEXT: The Cougars remain in Pullman home to host the Arizona schools next week, Friday, April 7 against No. 42 Arizona State at 1:30 p.m. then Sunday, April 9 against Arizona at 11 a.m.

LAST TIME OUT: The Cougars dropped a pair of 4-3 contests last weekend at Colorado and Utah.

2017 QUICK NOTES:

·         Freshman Guzal Yusupova has had the clinching victory in five of WSU's nine wins this season

·         Freshman Melisa Ates continues to lead the team with 20 singles victories

·         Yusupova is 5-2 in WSU's last 10 matches, with a four-match winning streak sandwiched around three matches that were halted once the team outcome was decided

·         WSU is 6-0 at home this season

ROSTER BREAKDOWN: For the 2017 season, the Cougars will boast a lineup that features four freshmen, one senior, one junior and a sophomore. The returning roster includes senior Victoria Matejevic, junior Barbora Michalkova, sophomore Aneta Miksovska, and freshmen Melisa Ates, Lejla Colic, Ege Tomey and Guzal Yusupova.

COACH HART: Lisa Hart is in her 14th season as the head coach of Washington State. Hart has accumulated a 180-160 record, the win total being the most of any coach in WSU tennis history. In 2012, the Cougars went 19-7 as Hart was awarded the Pac-12 Conference Women's Tennis Coach of the Year award.

LIVE STATS/VIDEO: For all home matches, fans wishing to follow the Cougars can go to wsu.statbroadcast.com to get live results. Live video of both matches this week can be found at wsucougars.com.