TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In the ITA Kick-Off Weekend regional, No. 15 USD faced off against No. 16 South Carolina Friday in a top-20 matchup on the campus of Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla. 

It was a tight match as five of the six singles matches went a full three sets, en route to the Toreros securing a 4-1 victory over the Gamecocks. 

The USD momentum started in doubles as the top duo in the country, junior Oliver Tarvet and redshirt junior Stian Klassen, jumped out to a 4-1 lead and never looked back for a 6-3 win over South Carolina's Connor Thomson and Casey Hoole. 

Senior Iiro Vasa and graduate student Savriyan Danilov, ranked No. 88 in the ITA men's doubles rankings, also won their doubles match to secure the doubles point for the Toreros with a 6-4 set score. Simultaneously, 72nd-ranked duo Blake Kasday and Adrien Berrut won 7-5, with no implication on the match as USD had already clinched the doubles point regardless.

In singles action, South Carolina's Atakan Karan took the first singles point to tie the dual match at one apiece with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Torero freshman Adrien Berrut. That would be the only singles match that would ultimately end in straight sets.  

Both Vasa and No. 29 Danilov lost their opening sets 6-2 and 6-4, respectively. However, both were able to answer back with second set wins, highlighted by Danilov winning 6-0, to force the decisive third set.   
 
Danilov jumped out a 2-0 lead in the third set before South Carolina's Lucas Andrade da Silva tied things up at 3-3. Danilov secured a 6-3 third set and match win to secure USD's second point. 

Hoole took the first point of the third set before Vasa answered back with four straight points and also took a 5-3 lead, leading to another 6-3 set win and match point for the Toreros.  

Meanwhile, Tarvet, ranked No. 15, and Klassen, ranked No. 71, also faced second set fights. Tarvet, who defeated Thomson 7-5 in the opening set, was down 4-1 in the second set, and fought back to 5-3 before losing and going to a third set. Tarvet took the first five points of the third set before winning 6-0 to secure his point for USD. 

Klassen, who lost his first set, 6-4, to South Carolina's Sean Daryabeigi, ranked No. 55, kept his winning hopes alive by coming back to win the second set 7-6. 

In addition, junior Neo Niedner was also a first set victim before bouncing back in the second. He lost his opening set to South Carolina's Gabe Avram 6-4, before winning the second set, 6-4.

Also, with Klassen and Niedner winning their second sets, it kept South Carolina from getting on the board by gaining any momentum.

USD keeps its perfect record alive at 3-0 while South Carolina falls to 2-2. 

Up Next
USD will take on No. 10 Florida State or UNC Wilmington Saturday at Florida State beginning at 2 p.m. to end the ITA Kick-Off Weekend tournament. If the Toreros win Saturday, they advance to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships from Feb. 14-16. 

Results:

#15 San Diego 4, #16 South Carolina 1
Doubles 

1. #1 Stian Klassen/Oliver Tarvet (USD) def. Connor Thomson/Casey Hoole (SC), 6-3
2. #88 Iiro Vasa/Savriyan Danilov (USD) def. Lucas Andrade da Silva/Jelani Sarr (SC), 6-4
3. #72 Adrien Berrut/Blake Kasday (USD) def. Max Stenzer/Atakan Karahan (SC), 7-5

Singles 

1. #15 Oliver Tarvet (USD) def. Connor Thomson (SC), 7-5, 3-6, 6-0 
2. Iiro Vasa (USD) def. Casey Hoole (SC), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
3. #29 Savriyan Danilov (USD) def. Lucas Andrade da Silva (SC), 4-6, 6-0, 6-3
4. #71 Stian Klaassen (USD) vs. #55 Sean Saryabeigi (SC), 4-6, 7-6, 1-2 (unfinished)
5. Atakan Karahan (SC) def. Adrien Berrut (USD), 6-2, 6-3
6. Neo Niedner (USD) vs. Gabe Avram (SC), 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (unfinished)

Order of Finish: Doubles: 1, 2, 3; Singles: 5, 3, 1, 2