USD made program history on Saturday, hosting the NCAA Division I men’s tennis tournament for the first time.
The Toreros — ranked No. 7 nationally — made the home fans happy.
Playing in front of 575 at the Hogan Tennis Center, USD beat No. 44 UC Irvine 4-1 to advance to Sunday’s second round.
The Toreros will play USC at noon after the Trojans advanced with a 4-0 win over Arizona State on Saturday afternoon.
The teams played earlier this season, with the Toreros beating the Trojans 4-1.
USD was led Saturday by No. 1 singles player Oliver Tarvet, who won 7-5, 6-1 over USC’s Nolan Zamora. Tavet and doubles partner Stian Klassen won the first set of their doubles match; the Toreros clinched before the teams could complete set No. 2.
Visiting USC has San Diego ties. Head coach Brett Masi was USD’s coach from 2010-15, going 104-47. His lead assistant, Marc Lucero, was a standout player at USDHS (now Cathedral Catholic).
