No. 8 Stanford women’s tennis (2-2, 0-0 Pac-12) defeated the St. Mary’s Gaels (1-3, 0-0 WCC) by a 6-1 score on Friday at Taube Family Tennis Center, bouncing back from two tough losses last weekend in Nashville to No. 25 Ole Miss and No. 1 Vanderbilt that dropped the team under .500 for the first time in program history.

Stanford took control early on Friday, as the Cardinal clinched the doubles point with victories at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. The freshman duo of Melissa Lord and Kimberly Yee continued to perform well at the No. 2 spot, notching the Cardinal’s first victory (6-0) of the day.

Juniors Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle rebounded from a rare loss against Mississippi and clinched the doubles point for the Cardinal with a final score of 6-2 at the No. 1 spot. Davidson and Doyle, the No. 10 doubles team in the nation, have amassed an overall record of 15-2 so far this season.

“We came out and played really well in the doubles today,” head coach Lele Forood said. “We have to continue to push the doubles.”

Clinching the doubles point will continue to be crucial for the team’s success, especially until Stanford’s top-ranked player, Carol Zhao, returns to collegiate play in late March or early April. Zhao is playing on the professional circuit this winter and is the top-ranked singles player (No. 339) to compete for Canada in a Fed Cup match against Belarus this weekend.

The Cardinal maintained their focus during singles play, and the energy was palpable in Taube Family Tennis Center. Stanford players exchanged motivating cheers (“Go Stanford!”) and fist pumps, with Doyle taking the lead in vocalizing their motivation.

“You could see [Caroline] Doyle — she was really, really loud and that was awesome,” said freshman Caroline Lampl. “She brought the energy. Kimmie [Yee] was out there yelling ‘Go Card,’ and I was trying to help out too.”

Lampl converted the team’s energy into the Cardinal’s first singles victory (6-3, 6-1) at the No. 4 spot.

The Gaels were determined competitors, and players battled for the first set, especially at the Nos. 1-3 spots. Forood recalled that St. Mary’s and Stanford have a long history of healthy competition.

“We have tremendous respect for [St. Mary’s],” Forood said. “We will never, ever, ever forget their upset of us in 2013. They’ve got great players and we enjoy competing against them.”

On Friday, the Cardinal outlasted the Gaels to sweep the first sets in all six matches.

Senior Krista Hardebeck brought the match score to 3-0 with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at the No. 3 spot. Lord stepped up to clinch the match for Stanford, with a final score of 6-3, 6-2 at the No. 4 spot.

Although Stanford had already secured the team win, the fierce competition continued at the Nos. 1, 2 and 6 spots.

Doyle, ranked 39th nationally, triumphed at the No. 2 spot (6-3, 6-3) in a rare battle between two left-handed players. Serving at 5-3 in the second set, Doyle sailed a forehand beyond the baseline to go down 30-40. Despite being down break point, Doyle directed aggressive forehands into the deep corners of the court and won the point after two well-placed volleys. Doyle took advantage of the no-ad scoring to clinch the match on the following point.

At the No. 1 spot, Davidson, ranked 20th nationally, quickly jumped to a 5-1 lead in the first set. The Gaels’ Jana McCord found her rhythm and consistency, however, and narrowed Davidson’s lead to 5-4. Davidson clinched the first set 6-4 and ultimately held her serve to secure a 6-4, 7-5 win.

Freshman Kimberly Yee endured her second three-set match in the last week after falling against Mississippi at the No. 6 spot (1-6, 6-4, 5-7) last Friday. Yee quickly secured the first set 6-1, but was unable to maintain the momentum in what proved to be the longest match of the day. Parminder Kaur of St. Mary’s eventually prevailed 1-6, 6-4, 6-1.

The match against St. Mary’s kicked off a series of four matches at home throughout February. The Cardinal will next seek to establish a winning streak as they host matches against challenging opponents including No. 22 TCU and No. 3 Florida.

“I think we all just have to work really hard this week,” Lampl said. “We definitely cannot underestimate them.”

Contact Alexa Corse at corsea ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Hot off a dominant victory over the Saint Mary’s Gaels last Friday, the No. 14 Stanford women’s tennis team (2-2) will look to take on No. 23 TCU (2-1) on Saturday at home in Taube Family Tennis Center for the team’s second home match of February.

The Cardinal are trying to rebound after dropping two matches to No. 1 Vanderbilt and No. 25 Ole Miss in January, which left the team with a losing record for the first time in program history. However their 6-1 victory over Saint Mary’s brought the team back to .500.

Juniors Taylor Davidson (above) and Caroline Doyle have been performing well as a doubles pair. The two are currently ranked 10th in the nation. (NICK SALAZAR/The Stanford Daily)

In their victory over the Gaels, the team showed resolve and passion, cheering each other on and displaying strong focus throughout the contest. In order to keep their winning momentum, the young Cardinal team should follow the example of junior Caroline Doyle, who was one of the most vocal supporters of her teammates.

Additionally, Stanford will need to continue its strong play in doubles. Doyle and junior Taylor Davidson stand as the No. 10 doubles team in the nation and have been dominant at the No. 1 position, losing only two of 17 matches this year.

Since the start of the season, the Cardinal have been trying to tap into the talent of their five freshmen. The three who play in the starting lineup — Caroline Lampl, Melissa Lord and Kimberly Yee — have put up strong performances and are sure to improve as they gain more experience playing at the collegiate level over the course of the season.

Head coach Lele Forood sees the strength of schedule early in the season as a plus for the team.

“[It’s] really important, especially for our freshmen class, to play as many matches as possible against this level of national competition,” Forood said.

Although the Cardinal have only lost at Taube six times in the past 17 years, this weekend holds no guarantee of a victory. 

The Horned Frogs have had strong results this season, taking down No. 42 Houston in the ITA Kick-Off weekend. TCU also boasts several international players from nations including Turkey, Spain, Ukraine, Germany and Russia.

The Horned Frogs also feature the No. 17 doubles team in the nation— juniors Caroline Wegner and Seda Arantekin — which may pose a major threat to the dominance of Doyle and Davidson. However, if the Stanford duo continues to play with the consistency they have maintained all year, the Cardinal should come out on top.

The match will take place at noon on Saturday, Feb. 13, and will be broadcast on streamingtennis.com/cardinal. 

Contact Yousef Hindy at yhindy ‘at’ stanford.edu.

No. 14 Stanford women’s tennis (3-2) defeated a top-25 team for the first time this season, with a 7-0 shutout over No. 23 TCU (2-2) on Saturday at Taube Family Tennis Center.

Stanford freshman Kimberly Yee (above) contributed a key singles victory in the Cardinal’s 7-0 win over TCU, breaking a personal three-match losing streak. (NEEL RAMACHANDRAN/The Stanford Daily)

The dominant victory marks Stanford’s second consecutive win at home, after an unusually slow start to the season for the storied program. The team dropped under .500 for the first time in program history two weeks ago, with a 1-2 record after two tough losses to No. 25 Ole Miss and No. 1 Vanderbilt. However, the Cardinal climbed back above .500 with gritty singles play against the Horned Frogs.

Although the singles matches were tightly contested, the Cardinal dominated in doubles. At the No. 3 doubles spot, senior Krista Hardebeck and freshman Caroline Lampl notched a 6-0 shutout for the Cardinal’s first win of the day.

Juniors Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle clinched the doubles point for Stanford with a 6-2 win at the No. 1 spot. As a testament to their 16-2 overall record, Davidson and Doyle jumped from the No. 10 to the No. 5 doubles team in the nation in rankings released on February 10.

Playing at the No. 2 singles spot, Doyle continued to dominate the match. Doyle, ranked 60th nationally in singles, was the first match off the court with a 6-0, 6-4 win.

Freshman Kimberly Yee followed with a 6-2, 6-1 win at the No. 6 spot. Yee’s victory added to the Cardinal’s momentum and represented a personal achievement, as the win ended a three-match losing streak for the freshman.

Fellow freshman Melissa Lord provided the clinching point for a Stanford victory for the second time this season, pushing the dual match tally to 4-0 with a 6-4, 6-4 win at the No. 5 singles spot. Lampl continued the stretch of underclassman dominance with a 6-4, 6-4 victory at the No. 4 spot.

Hardebeck and Davidson prevailed in three-set matches at the No. 3 and No. 1 spots, respectively. Hardebeck, ranked 66th nationally, won her second three-set matches this season (4-6, 6-2, 6-2) in three tries. Davison, ranked 30th nationally, triumphed 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (6) in the longest match of the day.

Until junior Carol Zhao returns to The Farm after spending the winter playing the professional circuit, Stanford’s primary goal is just to stay in the running for the NCAA tournament. 

The team will look to extend its win streak as it hosts No. 28 Fresno State and No. 3 Florida over the next two weeks.

Stanford will host CSUF on Friday, Feb. 19 at 1:30 p.m. at the Taube Family Tennis Center.  

Contact Alexa Corse at corsea ‘at’ stanford.edu.

This weekend, the Stanford men’s and women’s tennis teams get back in action at the Taube Tennis Center, as the No. 13 women (3-2) will play No. 28 Fresno State (5-3) on Friday afternoon, while the No. 22 men (5-3) will meet arch-rival No. 18 Cal (4-1) on Saturday for the Big Slam.

Since dropping under .500 for the first time in program history, the women’s team has quickly rebounded and is playing great tennis. The Cardinal’s last two matches have been dominant victories: 6-1 against St. Mary’s and a 7-0 shutout against No. 22 TCU. In this third match of a month-long homestand, the Cardinal will look to continue their high level of play as they work to reassert themselves as one of the top teams in the country.

Fresno State is currently riding a three-match win streak. The Bulldogs have shown that they can play with anyone, notching two victories against ranked opponents in their fist two matches, including an upset of then-No. 9 UCLA. Although they have since dropped their last two matches against ranked teams, Fresno State will enter the match against the Cardinal with confidence that they can score a big win on the road.

To avoid a stumble against the Bulldogs, Stanford will need to utilize its superior talent. The Cardinal have three players — juniors Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle, and senior Krista Hardebeck — in the ITA singles rankings to Fresno State’s one. Davidson and Doyle are also ranked as the No. 5 doubles team in the country. The Cardinal should feel confident that as long as they play up to their capability, they should be able to extend their current winning streak against the scrappy Bulldogs.

With a win against Fresno State, the Cardinal could be winners of their last three going into a tough match against Florida — one of the top teams in the country, and one of Stanford’s perennial rivals. Stanford will need to be at its best against the Gators, but a win against Fresno State would further boost the team’s confidence and ensure that it would enter the match against Florida ready to regain elite status as a tennis program.

***

On Saturday, the men’s team will take on California in the Big Slam, in what promises to be a well-balanced and entertaining match. The Cardinal and the Golden Bears are ranked 22nd and 18th, respectively, but have been trending in opposite directions. In the Big 12/Pac-12 challenge, the Stanford men lost matches to No. 24 Texas and No. 3 TCU to fall to 5-3 on the season. Meanwhile, Cal extended its winning streak to four matches by beating both teams. The Bears will be confident coming into Palo Alto after the TCU upset and look to be a formidable opponent for the Cardinal.

The talent of both teams will be on full display, as Stanford and Cal have always had extra motivation to be at their best against each other as arch-rivals. The two teams are relatively equal in depth, though Stanford may have a slight advantage. Stanford has six singles players and two doubles teams ranked by the ITA, while Cal has five singles players and one doubles team ranked. Additionally, Stanford doubles teams have only lost one match all year.

The match to watch will be at No. 1 singles, where Stanford sophomore Tom Fawcett and Cal junior Andre Gorranson will face off as the third- and fourth-ranked singles players in the country. The players will be facing off for the second consecutive Big Slam, with Gorranson winning handily 7-5, 6-0 last year. However, Fawcett appears to have raised his game tremendously, having played excellent tennis this year with wins in his last seven dual singles matches.

The men’s team will be looking to rebound from its showing at the Big 12/Pac-12 challenge and get its season back on track. A win against its biggest rival would do just that, and put Stanford back in the right mindset to make the best of what is still a young season.

Catch the Stanford women’s match on Friday at 1:30 p.m. and the men the following day at 1:00 p.m. Both matches will be played at Taube Stadium.

Contact Evan Burke at eburke3 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

On Friday afternoon, freshman Kimberly Yee found herself in the same position as she had been in two weeks earlier: having won the first set handily, before having lost the second set and facing the physical and mental challenges of being the last match on court.

Two weeks ago, Yee fell 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, the Cardinal’s only loss in their 6-1 win over St. Mary’s. On Friday, however, Yee triumphed over Fresno State’s Emma Wilson, 6-1, 5-7, 1-0 (13-11) at the No. 6 spot.

Yee clinched Stanford’s second consecutive 7-0 shutout following last week’s victory over No. 23 TCU. The consecutive dominant wins by No. 13 Stanford women’s tennis are a significant source of momentum as the team prepares to host No. 3 Florida, a longtime rival, this Sunday.

“I’m happy we’re able to show what Stanford can do,” Yee said. “[To win] 7-0 twice is pretty huge.”

Stanford clinched the doubles point and fought through tightly-contested matches in the lower half of the lineup to leave Fresno State empty-handed on a chilly, windy afternoon at Taube Tennis Stadium.

Senior Krista Hardebeck and freshman Caroline Lampl won 6-1 at the No. 3 doubles spot. Junior duo Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle, the fifth-ranked doubles team in the nation, clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 victory at the No. 1 spot.

“I think it’s important that we keep winning the doubles point,” said head coach Lele Forood. “We’re getting an identity [for doubles]. We haven’t lost the doubles point yet.”

Hardebeck prevented any potential for drama on Court 3 as she dispatched her opponent 6-0, 6-2, for the Cardinal’s first singles victory.

Doyle followed with a 6-3, 6-3 win at the No. 2 singles spot. Doyle’s opponent, Sophie Watts, had a dangerous ability to intercept Doyle’s topspin-heavy, looping groundstrokes on the rise and hit forceful and flat groundstrokes in return. But Doyle’s consistency prevailed, putting the Cardinal only one match away from victory.  

Freshman Melissa Lord clinched the dual match for the Cardinal with a 6-4, 6-4 win on Court 4. Lord’s serve was broken to bring the second set to 4-4, but she broke back to go up 5-4. Having gained the upper edge at that critical point, Lord held her serve to secure the victory.

Davidson, ranked 30th nationally, faced No. 26 Mayar Sherif Ahmed at Taube for the second time this year. On Oct. 27, Davidson defeated Ahmed 7-5, 2-6, 6-1 in the finals of the Stanford-hosted USTA/ITA NW Regional Championships. On Friday, the junior raced ahead in the second set to go up 7-5, 5-1. Davidson countered a late rally by Ahmed to clinch the second set 6-3.

Lampl and Yee each lost tightly-contested second sets before rallying in 10-point tiebreakers, which replaced the full third set, as the match was already decided.  

At the No. 4 spot, Lampl’s 10-6 win in the tiebreaker was characterized by big serves, backhand winners and occasional slices, which kept her Fresno State opponent running. After Lampl notched her final score of 6-4, 6-7 (2), 1-0 (10-6), both teams gathered courtside to watch Yee and Wilson finish their battle at the No. 6 spot.

Yee refused to let any pressure, or déjà vu, faze her after splitting sets yet again.

“I’ve always believed, don’t worry about the result,” Yee said. “You can’t control whether you win or lose, but you can control if you run every ball down, how you handle yourself on the court. You can control your attitude. So that was my mindset.”

The Cardinal return to Taube on Sunday to take on No. 3 Florida at noon.

Contact Alexa Corse at corsea ‘at’ stanford.edu.

This Sunday at Taube Family Tennis Center, the archrivals of women’s college tennis meet again — and no, we’re not talking about Stanford and Cal. The Florida Gators (5-0) are flying west for the weekend for another epic matchup; the teams have combined for 14 of the last 20 national titles, including four of the last six.

Stanford (4-2) is currently ranked 16th and Florida is ranked seventh in the NCAA. The last time Stanford played Florida, the Cardinal suffered their first loss of the 2015 season after a heartbreakingly close match, determined in the final set of the final match between Stanford’s then-No. 16 Caroline Doyle and Florida’s then-No. 13 Brianna Morgan. Despite the disappointing final outcome, Stanford witnessed highly competitive performances by then-sophomores Doyle and Taylor Davidson — all of whom are returning to the court against Florida this weekend.

This year, Florida is undefeated and has displayed a competitive edge over ranked opponents such as No. 4 USC, No. 29 Baylor and No. 20 Clemson. The Gators are led by No. 3 sophomore Brooke Austin, sophomore Josie Kuhlman and senior Brianna Morgan, all of whom played in the most decisive Stanford-Florida matchups of 2015.

“We certainly will find out this weekend how good we are, if there are any holes in our lineup and really where we stand nationally,” Florida’s coach Roland Thornqvist admitted in a press conference. “We haven’t really been tested as much as I perhaps would have hoped…I don’t know if it’s just because we’re that good, but we’ll find out this weekend for sure.”

Thornqvist and his team have no doubt noted Stanford’s success on the courts in the last few weeks. Stanford women’s tennis is currently riding an explosive three-win streak, including two shut-outs in a row against top-30 teams. Last weekend, Stanford bested No. 28 Fresno State for the 17th time in a row by a seven-point margin.

Stanford has yet to lose the doubles point in a match this year, and the No. 5-ranked doubles team of Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle (17-2) promises continued excellence on the courts this weekend. Meanwhile, Davidson and Doyle both boast double-digit victory records on the singles courts with records of 13-5 and 11-5, respectively. Freshman Caroline Lampl is looking to continue her seven-match win streak and breakout start to the season, which so far has included five overall wins and no losses.

This weekend will conclude a month of home-field advantages for Stanford women’s tennis — all four weekend dual matches in February were hosted by the Cardinal. In fact, Stanford women’s tennis has yet to face a loss on the Farm.

First serve of the rivalry matchup is at noon on Sunday at Taube Family Tennis Center. The match can also be viewed online at www.streamingtennis.com to avoid sunlight and the outdoors.

Contact Kit Ramgopal at kitramgopa ‘at’ stanford.edu.

The No. 16 Stanford Cardinal (5-2) shocked the No. 7 Florida Gators (5-2) with a 4-3 victory on Sunday at home in the Taube Family Tennis Center. 

Senior Krista Hardback (above) scored a crucial victory in the No. 4 position, propelling the team past the Gators in a tightly contest 4-3 victory. (RAHIM ULLAH/The Stanford Daily)

The contest showcased two of the perennial powerhouses of women’s college tennis. The win was the Stanford’s fourth straight, which has bounced back since dropping two of its first three matches. Despite coming in as the underdog, the Cardinal kept every match close in front of a packed crowd that gave them the raucous support they needed down the stretch.

“This match was an important step for our team. [I was most proud] of everyone’s fighting resiliency,” said head coach Lele Forood. “All the matches were real roller-coasters. We weathered the bad when the Florida girls got really good, but we kept fighting and it was a really good performance by everybody. It was so perfect to be able to clinch this today.”

The Cardinal started the match off on the wrong foot, dropping the important doubles point 2-1. Juniors Caroline Doyle and Taylor Davidson, the No. 3 doubles team in the nation, took down the No. 7 team of sophomore Brooke Austin and Junior Kourtney Keegan, 6-2. However, in the other matches, the Gators took both 6-2.

The team didn’t let the lost point phase them, however, as all of the Stanford women played extremely well in the competitive singles matches, with five of six going to the third set.

The Cardinal benefitted from the temporary surprise return of junior Carol Zhao, who has been taking time off from college tennis to train for the Canadian National Team. Last year, she finished as the runner-up at the NCAA Individual Championships and was ranked as the No. 1 player in the country in preseason polls. She won her match against Brooke Austin, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 and is expected to return full-time in April.

Davidson had to work hard to win her first set 7-6 at No. 2, saving several set points against No. 6 Belinda Woolcock of Florida. In the second, she played more confidently and consistently, taking the set and the match 6-2.

Doyle came out of the gate hot in singles at No. 3, taking the first set 6-1. Her opponent Keegan struck back, however, taking the second 1-6. In the third, Doyle took an early 4-0 lead, but Keegan quickly responded and forced a tie-break. Davidson, remaining cool and calm, took the tiebreak 7-5 to give Stanford its third victory of the day.

All eyes turned to the back courts as senior Krista Hardebeck took on Josie Kuhlman in the deciding match on Court 4. In the deciding third set, she had four match points while up 5-4, but she could not convert.

While many players might have mentally collapsed at that point, Hardebeck kept her resolve and continued to play solid tennis, clinching the third set and the match 7-5 to give her team a much-needed victory.

However, this was not the first time that Hardbeck clinched a match against Florida, as she had famously done so in her freshman and sophomore years, too — in pressure-packed situations, no less. For her, however, this one topped them all.

“This was a really cool experience for me, as it was probably the last time I’ll ever play Florida,” the senior said.  “It was awesome to put my footprint on this team’s legacy.”

The team will next travel to Arizona to take on No. 24 Arizona State on Friday and Arizona on Saturday.

Contact Yousef Hindy at yhindy ‘at’ stanford.edu.

No. 20 Stanford women’s tennis (6-3, 1-1 Pac-12) came away with mixed results in the desert this weekend, notching a comfortable win over No. 64 Arizona (9-3, 0-1) in its conference opener before narrowly falling to No. 36 Arizona State (7-4, 1-1) on Saturday.

Stanford, riding the momentum of four straight wins, including an upset of the No. 7 team in the country last week, got off to a strong start against the Wildcats, clinching the doubles point with a pair of victories on Courts 1 and 3.

A rare second-set retirement from junior Taylor Davidson at the No. 1 singles spot briefly brought the teams even at one point apiece, before Krista Hardebeck and Caroline Doyle finished off their opponents in straight sets on Courts 3 and 2, respectively.

Freshman Caroline Lampl earned the first clinch of her career with her 7-5, 6-2 victory over Devin Chypyha at the No. 4 spot. Classmate Melissa Lord also posted a win at the No. 5 spot, while a loss from Lindsey Kostas made the final score 5-2.

Stanford then made the short road trip to Tempe for its matchup against Arizona State on Saturday. The Cardinal were handed a surprising 4-3 loss, only the second time the Sun Devils have topped the Cardinal in 56 meetings.

The loss ended the Cardinal women’s five-match win streak, and marked only the second defeat for Stanford’s No. 1 doubles team of Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle, ranked third in the country.

After the Sun Devils clinched the doubles point, Hardebeck and Lord earned straight-set victories on Courts 3 and 5, while Davidson lost to Desirae Krawcyz at the top spot to even the match at two. A Doyle loss and Lampl 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win at the No. 4 spot tied the match 3-3, but Arizona State’s Gussie O’Sullivan’s win over Stanford’s Kimberly Yee at No. 6 was enough to clinch the match for ASU.

Next Friday, March 11, Stanford hosts USC at Taube Family Tennis Center at 1:30 p.m., kicking off the first of a seven-match series on The Farm.

Contact Kit Ramgopal at kramgopa ‘at’ stanford.edu.

No. 20 Stanford women’s tennis (9-4, 4-1 Pac-12) rebounded after a 4-3 loss to No. 11 Pepperdine on Tuesday by shutting out Colorado and No. 65 Utah this past weekend.

The wins over Pac-12 opponents Colorado and Utah will help the Cardinal maintain a winning Pac-12 record necessary to qualify for the NCAA Championships. But the shutouts might not be the most apt indicator regarding Stanford’s potential once in the NCAA Championships itself, since Colorado and Utah are not highly ranked nationally.

While the loss to non-conference foe Pepperdine has less effect on Stanford’s NCAA tournament bid, the defeat underscores how Stanford’s postseason success could depend on how standout junior Carol Zhao balances her schedule of collegiate play with the professional circuit.

Zhao, the 2015 NCAA singles runner-up who was No. 1 in collegiate preseason rankings and is currently No. 323 in the WTA, took a break from collegiate play for the professional circuit over winter quarter but returned to The Farm for Stanford’s 7-0 wins against Colorado and Utah.

Zhao did not compete in Stanford’s 4-3 loss to Pepperdine, a team more akin to a top-ranked NCAA contender compared to Utah and Colorado, last Tuesday. The nail-biting score shows that while Stanford remains competitive even without Zhao, her presence at the No. 1 spot may give Stanford the edge to defeat the nation’s best teams. Zhao competed in Stanford’s highest-profile win so far this season, its 4-3 victory over No. 7 Florida at home on Feb. 28.

Against Pepperdine, Stanford won closely contested matches at Nos. 2, 3, and 6. Pepperdine clinched the deciding doubles point, defeating Stanford’s typically strong doubles play at the Nos. 1 and 2 spots.

On Friday against Colorado, Zhao prevailed on Court 1 against Nuria Ormeno Ruiz, ranked 74th nationally, in an unexpectedly hard-fought battle, 7-5, 7-6 (5). On Court 2, No. 23 Taylor Davidson dispatched Jeannez Daniel of Colorado, 6-1, 6-2. Davidson, a junior, has amassed a 4-5 record at the No. 1 spot in Zhao’s absence, and is especially formidable at No. 2 when Zhao joins the lineup.

Zhao lost the first set 3-6 on Saturday against Margo Pletcher of Utah, but captured the momentum to win 3-6, 6-1, 10-0 on Court 1.

When Zhao plays in Stanford’s lineup, only two spots are left for the three freshmen who have received regular playing time in Zhao’s absence. Freshman Caroline Lampl won at the No. 5 spot against Colorado and Utah, while freshmen Kimberly Yee and Melissa Lord alternated at No. 6.

Lord won 6-0, 6-2 against Colorado and Yee prevailed 6-4, 5-7, 11-9 against her Utah opponent the following day.

Stanford next hosts No. 35 Oregon, a Pac-12 rival, on Saturday, April 2, at noon at Taube Family Tennis Stadium.

Contact Alexa Corse at corsea ‘at’ stanford.edu.

No. 20 Stanford women’s tennis (9-4, 4-1 Pac-12) will take on No. 38 Oregon (11-3, 3-1) at home on Saturday. Then, on Sunday, the Cardinal will travel to Berkeley to face perennial rival No. 1 Cal (15-0, 4-0).

The Cardinal have shown promise this season, but they have also struggled against the top-ranked teams that they need to beat to achieve their goal of winning a national championship. This weekend will therefore give Stanford an opportunity to prove its mettle against the best team in the country.

The Cardinal team has faced a tough string of matches to begin the season, as seven of their 13 opponents have been ranked in the top-25. The matchup against Cal will also not be the first time this season that Stanford plays a top-ranked team, as they fell to Vanderbilt earlier in the season when it was ranked No. 1 in the nation.

Despite its strong schedule, Stanford has been able to pull out gutsy wins, such as the 4-3 win over then-No. 7 ranked Florida, in which senior Krista Hardebeck clinched the final match in dramatic fashion. Wins like these have shown that the squad can take down any competition.

The last two contests have been a breeze for the young team, as it steamrolled past both No. 65 Utah and unranked Colorado, 7-0. This weekend will not be so easy for the Cardinal, as Oregon and Cal both hold better records than Stanford, but Hardebeck’s confidence in her team is evident. 

“We know NCAAs are in sight,” she said. “We have been taking the court with a new intensity knowing that we have to clean up anything that we have to do.”

With star junior Carol Zhao back in the lineup at No. 1, the Cardinal will be playing with a stronger lineup than they have been this season. Although her top spot in singles is set, her doubles partner has been more uncertain recently. In the most recent matchup with Utah, she played with freshman Kimberly Yee while against Colorado she was paired with freshman Melissa Lord.

The doubles point will be essential for Stanford against the two strong teams this weekend. Although the Cardinal have only dropped the doubles point twice this season, their last loss to No. 11 Pepperdine, with a final score of 4-3, came down to the doubles in the end.

Stanford will therefore look to juniors Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle, the No. 4-ranked doubles team in the nation, to lead the charge against the No. 6-ranked juniors Maegan Manasse and Denise Starr from Cal.

While this is the only matchup of the season against Oregon, Stanford will have another shot at Cal on April 16 in the final match of the season before the Pac-12 and NCAA championships.

Stanford will play Oregon first on Saturday at home at 12 p.m. The team will then travel to Berkeley on Sunday to play Cal at 11 a.m. The second match will be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks.  

Contact Yousef Hindy at yhindy ‘at’ stanford.edu.

No. 18 Stanford women’s tennis (10-5, 5-1 Pac-12) was overpowered in singles play by undefeated No. 1 UC Berkeley (17-0, 5-0 Pac-12), resulting in a 4-3 loss on Sunday afternoon at the Hellman Tennis Complex in Berkeley.

The Bears’ victory does not count for Pac-12 conference standings; the rematch on April 16 at Stanford counts instead. Although Cal ultimately prevailed, the close final score of 4-3 shows that Stanford is a competent competitor against the team that has dominated women’s college tennis this season.

In a match televised on Pac-12 Networks, the Cardinal put forth its best doubles play so far this season to clinch the doubles point, but the Bears’ aggressive style of singles play garnered them four singles wins.

“They were the aggressors on most of the courts once the singles started,” head coach Lele Forood said. “On the top courts, they played a more attacking style, and we seemed not to be able to match that.”

Freshman Caroline Lampl and senior Krista Hardebeck each notched notable wins in Stanford’s only singles victories of the day. Lampl earned her first career win against a top-100 ranked ITA player, outlasting Cal freshman Olivia Hauger, ranked 68th nationally, with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win. Hardebeck, ranked 118th,  provided a silver lining for Stanford as the last match to finish with a 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4) win over No. 93 Denise Starr.

Kicking off the Big Slam, juniors Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle, the 4th-ranked doubles team in the nation, triumphed 6-2 over Cal’s 6th-ranked team of Maegan Manasse and Denise Starr on Court 1. Senior Carol Zhao and freshman Melissa Lord clinched the doubles point with a 6-3 victory on Court 2.

Senior Krista Hardebeck and freshman Caroline Lampl were up 5-4 with triple match point at 40-0, but their doubles match was abandoned since Stanford had already claimed the doubles point.

Cal’s Lynn Chi, ranked 64th nationally, kicked off the Bears’ singles success with a 6-1, 6-3 win over No. 57 Doyle on Court 3. Lord then fell 6-3, 6-1 to Cal’s Karla Popovic on Court 6. On Court 2, Cal’s Klara Fabikova, ranked 11th, overpowered No. 23 Davidson 6-2, 6-3.

With Cal up 3-1 in the dual match tally, it became clear that the Court 1 battle between Zhao and Cal’s 7th-ranked Manasse would decide the match.

Manasse sprinted to a 4-1 lead in the first set, winning points with aggressive approach shots and volleys that kept Zhao on the defensive. Zhao, the 2015 NCAA singles runner-up, fought back to 4-4 but Manasse took the first set 7-5. In the second set, Zhao found herself in a similarly perilous position down 2-5. Zhao staved off a match point while serving at 3-5, 40-all with a put-away overhead, but Manasse broke Zhao’s serve in the following game to win 7-5, 6-4 and clinch Cal’s victory.

Zhao and Manasse share a history of intense competition. Last year in the 2015 NCAA Championships, Zhao outlasted Manasse 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 to clinch Stanford’s 4-3 upset over Cal in the round of 16.

Following Manasse’s victory, an overheard comment from a Bears’ fan revealed the thrilling atmosphere surrounding the Big Slam.

“Wow, that was intense,” said the Bears’ fan, breathing a sigh of relief, while on court Manasse shared celebratory hugs with teammates.

Even though Cal had secured the victory, the majority of the crowd remained to watch and cheer as Lampl and Hardebeck battled to victory in hard-fought third sets.

On Court 5, Lampl was well-matched against fellow freshman Olivia Hauger, who has garnered national attention by clinching Cal’s victories over No. 3 University of North Carolina and No. 6 Florida. Both freshmen rely on deep, heavy forehands and are particularly talented at the put-away swinging volley.

Lampl won the first set 6-4, while Hauger took the second set 6-4 after jumping to an early 5-2 lead. Up 4-3 in the third set, Lampl hit three swinging volley forehand winners in a single game, breaking Hauger’s serve. Serving at 5-3, 30-all, Lampl hit yet another unreturnable forehand swinging volley to clear her path to victory.

“Going into the match, I knew it was going to be a battle because [Hauger] is so mentally tough,” Lampl said. “I just had to go into the match with that mindset, knowing it was going to be a long match.”

On Court 4, Hardebeck extended her current winning streak to 12 as she dispatched Cal’s Starr 7-4 in the set tiebreaker.

Forood noted that the hard-fought match established Stanford as a significant threat to Cal’s dominance, considering that the Cardinal will have a home-court advantage in the upcoming conference-play rematch.

“[A dual match score of] 4-3 sends a message that we’re a little closer to them than a 1-6,” Forood said. “It was a pretty rowdy atmosphere, but we’re hoping to have a rowdy crowd on the 16th of April.”   

The Big Slam was Stanford’s second match of the weekend. On Saturday, Stanford notched its third consecutive shutout with a 7-0 victory over No. 38 Oregon, who fielded only four players due to injuries.

Stanford next travels to Washington April 8-9 to compete against No. 61 University of Washington and No. 62 Washington State.

Contact Alexa Corse at corsea ‘at’ stanford.edu.

In enemy territory at Cal’s Hellman Tennis Complex on Sunday afternoon, Stanford freshman Caroline Lampl ripped an unreturnable forehand on match point, after which she characteristically raised both arms above her head in triumph.

Freshman Caroline Lampl (above) has become a critical part of the No. 18 Stanford women’s tennis team, compiling a 17-4 overall record to help boost the Cardinal into contention among the nation’s elite. (RAHIM ULLAH/The Stanford Daily)

No. 18 Stanford women’s tennis was edged by undefeated No. 1 Cal, 4-3, but Lampl’s 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Cal’s No. 68 Olivia Hauger helped prove that Stanford is an elite competitor as the NCAA Championships approach in Mid-May.

“Going into the match, I knew it was going to be a battle because [Hauger] is so mentally tough,” Lampl said. “I just had to go into the match with that mindset, knowing it was going to be a long match.”

It is fitting that Lampl, the top freshman in Stanford’s lineup, shone in the charged atmosphere of a match against Stanford’s archrival. Since arriving on The Farm, Lampl has stood out not only for notching the winningest record (17-4 overall, 12-2 dual) of her freshman class, but also for inspiring her teammates with her effervescent spirit.

The freshman’s enthusiasm for supporting the team’s morale has been particularly significant this season given the state of Stanford’s program. Due to both the temporary absence of star player Carol Zhao, who played on the professional circuit over winter quarter, and a lineup regularly featuring as many as three freshmen, Stanford has depended on contributions from the entire roster.

Lampl has provided the clinching singles victory in dual matches against Arizona, Utah and Oregon, while playing at the No. 4 or 5 spot. She also notched her first career win over a top-100 ranked player in her victory over fellow freshman Hauger.

“[Lampl demonstrated] great heart and great perseverance to get through that second set and pull out the third,” said head coach Lele Forood. “Great energy, as always.”

Caroline Lampl scores 1st career win over top-100 ITA player, against fr. #68 Olivia Hauger. HUGE win pic.twitter.com/dTgXfPCzzJ

— Alexa Corse (@AlexaCorse) April 3, 2016

In embracing college tennis’ team format, Lampl has navigated a significant transition. Unlike in many other sports, junior tennis players typically travel to and compete in tournaments as individual competitors.

“In juniors, you’re out there by yourself, with maybe your mom or your coach cheering you on,” Lampl said. “At first I was really nervous about college tennis. I was like, ‘If I don’t play well, I’m going to let my team down and that’s going to be embarrassing.’”

Lampl’s mindset shifted after her improbable three-set comeback victory over UCLA’s Alaina Miller on March 12 as a turning point. Despite being down 2-5 in the third set, Lampl recovered to win 6-7 (3), 6-1, 7-5.

This victory resonates with Lampl, even though Stanford had already clinched the dual match victory before she won the three-set battle. In that match, Lampl no longer felt the same anxiety about representing the Cardinal. Instead, she used the notion of playing well for the sake of her teammates, for Forood and for associate head coach Frankie Brennan as a source of positive motivation that helped her ignite her rally.

“I’ve found out how much fun [college tennis] is,” Lampl said. “The feeling of playing for your team in front of everyone and making people happy and fired up is something I like a lot.”

Growing up, Lampl developed her competitive spirit over countless hours practicing tennis with her older sister, Sunnie, a senior on the MIT tennis team.

The Lampl sisters have carried their passion for tennis — and their sibling rivalry — across the globe. Lampl first picked up a tennis racket in Hong Kong, where she lived until the age of 10, when her family moved to Purcellville, Virginia. Although the sisters now live on opposite coasts, Sunnie regularly live-streams her younger sister’s matches, and often texts commentary and encouragement to Caroline even while her match is underway.

As Lampl has grown more confident regarding college competition, the freshman has increasingly enjoyed the lively atmosphere offered by the crowd at Stanford’s Taube Family Tennis Stadium.

“If I hit a good shot, I’ll celebrate more in front of a crowd,” Lampl said. “When you have people cheering you on, I really want to win for my fans, my team and my coaches.”

Confidence on court plays a key role in how Lampl and her teammates support each other during a dual match. Throughout the season, the Stanford women have placed an emphasis on what Lampl calls “being loud”: vocalizing cheers, both to maintain their own high energy and to encourage teammates competing on neighboring courts.

Lampl now proudly lays claim to being one of the loudest while pumping herself up and her teammates, although she admits to trailing junior Caroline Doyle for the title of loudest Cardinal on court.

In two weeks, Lampl will likely face Cal’s Hauger again when the Bears come to The Farm on April 16. During the rematch, which will count toward the Pac-12 conference standings, Lampl will have another opportunity to thrive in the spotlight — or, at the least, to make sure that her cheers of “Go Cardinal” are heard.

Contact Alexa Corse at corsea ‘at’ stanford.edu.

The No. 19 Stanford women’s tennis team (10-5, 5-1 Pac-12) will need key road victories this weekend over No. 47 Washington (12-8, 3-4) and No. 57 Washington State (17-6, 2-5) if it wants to be one of the 16 seeded teams in the NCAA Championships.

Stanford had won three straight matches (all in Pac-12 play), sweeping a trio of teams by a combined 21-0, before losing at California this past Sunday. With three matches left to play, Stanford finishes the season at home against California a week from Sunday.

The Cardinal sit at fifth place in the Pac-12 standings and need these wins to raise a few spots higher in the national rankings as the NCAA Tournament approaches; the top 16 teams host first and second round matches in the NCAA Championships.

Stanford has struggled away from home, going 1-3 away from The Farm with its lone win coming at Arizona. To beat their road blues, the Cardinal will look to senior Krista Hardebeck, who has won 12 straight matches and leads the team with 18 overall victories, to continue her consistency as of late.

The team will also have the services of junior Carol Zhao, who missed the beginning of the season while playing tournaments on the professional circuit before coming back and playing the last few matches for Stanford.

The match against Washington will take place on Friday at noon, while the Cardinal will take on Washington State Saturday at 10 a.m.

Contact Elliott Lapin at elapin ‘at’ stanford.edu.

This weekend, the No. 19 Stanford women’s tennis team (12-5, 7-1 Pac-12) traveled to the Pacific Northwest and took on No. 47 Washington (12-10, 3-6) and No. 57 Washington State (17-8, 2-7) in its last road matches of the regular season. Both matches ended in dominant wins for Stanford, as the Cardinal cruised 6-1 against Washington and 5-2 against Washington State.

On Friday against Washington, the Court 3 team of senior Krista Hardebeck and freshman Caroline Lampl clinched the doubles point for the Cardinal before Carol Zhao, Taylor Davidson, Caroline Doyle, Hardebeck and Lampl all notched straight-set victories on Courts 1-5 to bury the Huskies in short order, with Lampl giving the team the fourth clincher of her career. Hardebeck’s victory marked her 13th straight, the longest such streak of her career.

Against the Cougars, the Cardinal again jumped out to an early lead, this time with Davidson and Doyle, the No. 4 ranked doubles team in the country, clinching the doubles point. Stanford then cemented the win with three straight singles victories from Melissa Lord, Lampl and Hardebeck, who upped her unbeaten streak to 14 matches. Washington State was able to get back two points in the singles matches after the contest was already in hand for Stanford with wins over Doyle on Court 2 and freshman Kimberly Yee on Court 5.

The two dominant wins, coupled with the very close loss to No. 1 Cal the previous week, signaled that the Cardinal are still playing some of their best tennis of the year, especially in light of their three-match shutout streak against Colorado, Utah and Oregon in late March. Before the two road wins over the weekend, the Cardinal had struggled on the road all season, with their only win away from the Taube Tennis Center having come against Arizona back in early March.

The trip to Washington moved Stanford’s Pac-12 record to 7-1, allowing the Cardinal to enter their final match of the season, a rematch with unbeaten Cal, with the confidence that they have dominated their conference schedule and have a legitimate chance to knock off the nation’s No. 1 team as the singles lineup gets comfortable with Zhao back at No. 1.

Additionally, Stanford will be playing Cal at Taube, where they have been nearly unbeatable this season. With the postseason approaching, and the possibility of hosting two rounds of the NCAA tournament still in play, the Cardinal will still have a lot to play for when they look for revenge against the Bears on Sunday. Stanford can clinch the Pac-12 regular season title with a win over the Bears and a USC loss to UCLA. 

Contact Evan Burke at eburke3 ‘at’ stanford.edu.

The No. 17 Stanford women’s tennis team’s (12-5, 7-1 Pac-12) regular season culminates this weekend with its biggest match yet against No. 1 California (19-0, 7-0). While the matchup between the rivals is always contentious, this year’s rendition of the Big Slam features a number of storylines that promise an exciting contest.

Carol Zhao (above) has helped Stanford take five of its last six matches after returning from playing on the professional circuit. The Cardinal’s only loss during that span was against Cal, which the Cardinal will face in a high-stakes rematch this weekend. (ALLISON HARMAN/The Stanford Daily)

Although the teams’ records look disparate on paper, the Cardinal have been on fire since the permanent return of their stalwart No. 1, junior Carol Zhao. The team has won five of their last six matches, dropping only three individual matches in those victories. Stanford’s only loss in that period came at the hands of Cal two weeks ago in Berkeley.

Stanford started the match strongly, clinching the doubles point behind victories on the top two courts. However, the Bears came back dominant in singles play, winning four straight to clinch the match. Three-set victories by Krista Hardebeck and Caroline Lampl on Courts 4 and 5 brought the final score to 4-3 in favor of Cal.

The hard-fought loss did not count in the conference standings, while Saturday’s meeting on The Farm will, carrying serious implications for both teams. A victory would complete a perfect regular season for Cal, something the program has never achieved in its 43-year history. It would also secure the Pac-12 title for the Golden Bears for just the second time since 1988 and almost certainly clinch them the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Meanwhile, a Stanford upset would flip the tables and place the Cardinal in serious contention for the conference title. With a UCLA victory over USC, Stanford would clinch the title outright; if the Trojans are able to get by the Bruins, Stanford would meet USC in a neutral-site match to decide the conference winner.

Stanford also currently sits just a spot outside the nation’s top-16, a crucial distinction as the top 16 teams in the country host the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. While a loss would leave Stanford’s hosting fate in the hands of the selection committee, a win would virtually lock up home-court advantage for the Cardinal until the Round of 16.

Such a victory won’t be easy to come by, however, as the Golden Bears are loaded with talent up and down their roster. Maegan Manasse and Klara Fabikova are featured at the top two spots for the Bears, and are both ranked in the top-15 in the country. Senior Lynn Chi and junior Denise Starr are both currently ranked in the top-75, and bring veteran experience to the starting lineup.

Strong doubles play will be crucial for the Cardinal in order to alleviate some of the pressure that the team will face against the Bears’ stacked singles lineup. Stanford’s Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle, the No. 4 team in the country, will face No. 3 Manasse and Starr of Cal on Court 1 in a rare matchup between top-5 teams.

In singles, Stanford will look to Hardebeck to continue her stellar play, as the senior has rattled off 14 straight victories. However, the match may very well be decided by the match between No. 56 Zhao and No. 10 Manasse on Court 1. The juniors have a fierce rivalry dating back to last year, when Zhao got the better of Manasse twice in three-set battles, including in a 4-3 upset in the third round of the NCAA tournament. This year, however, the Cal No. 1 dispatched of her Stanford counterpart in a tight 7-5, 6-4 victory.

Stanford will hope to be aided by a rowdy atmosphere at Taube Family Center, where the team is 9-1 on the year. Doubles kicks off this year’s Big Slam on Saturday at noon.

Contact Neel Ramachandran at neelr@stanford.edu.

Battling for the third set that would decide the Big Slam, freshman Caroline Lampl did not play it safe.

With Lampl up 4-3, Olivia Hauger of Cal hit a sky-high lob, whose protracted hang time seemed to rival how long the anxious fans in the crowd could bear to hold their breath. Lampl stepped forward across the baseline and improbably struck the descending ball out of the air, winning the point on a put-away swinging volley.

Lampl’s characteristic aggressive playing style paid off in a big way, as the freshman would go on to clinch No. 17 Stanford’s 4-3 upset over No. 1 Cal on Saturday afternoon at Taube Family Tennis Stadium.

“[Lampl] has been in the situation of being the last match on the court a couple of times now,” said head coach Lele Forood following Lampl’s 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 win over Hauger, a freshman who is ranked 114th nationally. “She goes for her shots, but they’re almost always the right shots.”  

Stanford (13-5, 8-1 Pac-12) dealt Cal (19-1, 7-1) its first loss of the season and preserved its shot at being crowned the Pac-12 regular-season champion, which could depend on Stanford’s upcoming match against No. 21 USC in Ojai, California, on Wednesday.

The dramatic upset over Cal also served as revenge for Stanford, who suffered a nail-biting 3-4 loss against Cal two weeks ago in Berkley. The prior match on April 3 did not count for Pac-12 conference standings, however, so Stanford prevailed when it mattered for the conference championship. The victory over Cal marks Stanford’s biggest win since defeating No. 4 Florida on Feb. 28 and positions the Cardinal as a top contender in the NCAA Championships.

Stanford found itself at a disadvantage early in the dual match, when Cal won the doubles point. On Court 1, Cal’s Meagan Manasse and Denise Starr, the third-ranked doubles team in the country, won 6-4 over the fourth-ranked duo of juniors Taylor Davidson and Caroline Doyle. Cal’s Klara Fabikova and Hauger clinched the doubles point, defeating senior Carol Zhao and freshman Melissa Lord 7-5 on Court 2.

The doubles loss put Stanford down 0-1 in the dual match score. The disadvantage seemed particularly formidable for Stanford, given that the Cardinal only won two singles matches against Cal on April 3.

Once singles play began, Zhao, a junior, offered the first indication that Stanford still had a shot at victory. Zhao jumped to an early 5-0 lead on Court 1 and never wavered, notching Stanford’s first singles win of the day, 6-1, 6-4. The win was revenge for Zhao, who lost 7-5, 6-4 to Manasse, ranked tenth nationally, two weeks ago.

On Court 4, senior Krista Hardebeck notched her 15th consecutive singles win with a 6-2, 6-3 win over No. 73 Starr. Cal countered with a win on Court 2, as No. 12 Fabikova defeated Davidson, ranked 33rd nationally, 6-4, 6-4.

On Court 3, Doyle fended off five match points to keep Stanford’s hopes alive. Doyle was cheered on by a crowd of over 20 enthusiastic friends throughout the match, and her thrilling 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory over No. 68 Lynn Chi didn’t disappoint.

“That was fun [to have the crowd cheering],” Doyle said. “It was really helpful to have them and feed off their energy, especially after losing the first set pretty badly.”

Chi seemed less at ease in the spotlight and failed to convert match points due to unforced errors. Doyle found herself down double match point at 5-6, 30-30 in the third set, but Chi missed two consecutive backhand service returns wide, so the set went to a tiebreaker. Chi was up 6-3 in the set tiebreaker, but over her three match points, she sent a backhand return long and two groundstrokes into the net.

Doyle clinched the tiebreaker 8-6, avenging her 6-1, 6-3 loss to Chi two weeks ago and bringing Stanford only one singles win away from victory.

“Caroline is so positive,” Forood said. “She continues to believe and she turns things around.”

Cal’s Karla Popovic countered with a hard-fought 7-6 (1), 7-5 win over Lord.

With the dual match score tied at 3-3, the three-set battle between Lampl and Hauger became the deciding match. The freshmen were even at 3-3 in the third set, when their teammates gathered courtside and fans filled the stadium seats near Court 5. Lampl rose to the pressure-filled moment and won three consecutive games as she claimed the set 6-3, clinching the victory for the Cardinal.

Stanford next travels to Ojai from April 20-24. Stanford will compete against USC on Wednesday, April 20 and in the Pac-12 Championships throughout the week.   

Contact Alexa Corse at corsea ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Seven months of competitive play later, it is finally championship season for No. 32 Stanford men’s tennis. For the next five days, from Wednesday, April 20 to Sunday, April 24, Stanford men’s tennis will be moving into postseason competition in Ojai, California at the Pac-12 Championships.

Senior Maciek Romanowicz (above) has been a solid contributor this season along with doubles partner sophomore Tom Fawcett, but the duo has fallen off a bit during Pac-12 play. (RAHIM ULLAH/The Stanford Daily)

The Cardinal ended their regular season last weekend, finishing with a 4-3 record in the Pac-12 and 13-9 record overall. Looking back on regular season play, the Cardinal statistics are a kaleidoscopic mix of resounding successes and heartbreaking losses, and the team will look to end on a high note at the Pac-12 Championships this week.

“This year has been challenging — we’ve had matches that could’ve gone either way, and unfortunately we couldn’t pull them our way … but we haven’t stopped believing that the score would eventually go in our favor,” reflected senior Maciek Romanowicz. “It’s challenging, but that’s sport — one team wins, another team loses. Hopefully, [in the postseason] we’ll be the team that wins those close matches.”

However, in head coach Paul Goldstein’s larger scheme of re-establishing the Cardinal tennis program as a national championship contender, the 2015-16 has been instrumental in building team strength from the bottom up.

“We’ve certainly had the opportunity for growth in that we’ve had to deal with a fair amount of challenging, difficult losses. To continue to work hard and maintain self-confidence in spite of that is a really good learning opportunity.”

There is no shortage of talent on this year’s team. Sophomore Tom Fawcett is consistently a presence on Stanford’s No.1 court in both the singles and doubles arenas, boasting a singles career record of 42-17. The doubles team of Fawcett and Romanowicz will look to continue add wins to their 10-6 overall record and redeem themselves a bit in light of their 1-4 mark against Pac-12 opponents in the regular season. Goldstein noted that freshmen such as Sameer Kumar and Michael Genender have also demonstrated a quick adherence to the intensity of college tennis.

Stanford is coming off of a loss to No. 16 Cal this past Saturday. In an unfortunate chapter in the ubiquitous rivalry, the team conceded a 4-1 victory to the Bears. Cal gained an early advantage by clinching the doubles point and continued on to sweep three of the top four singles courts.

This was the end of a three-match win streak for the Cardinal, who had previously bested No. 35 Oregon, No. 37 Washington and San Francisco. The Cardinal hope to ride their momentum from that prior streak into the Pac-12 championships, where they will most likely open up against Oregon. If they progress, they may quickly face opponents to whom they lost in the regular season, such as No. 2 UCLA.

For the team, the beautiful thing about the postseason is that at this point, anything can happen.

“It feels great to actually get into the postseason because this is when the real competition starts,” explains Romanowicz. “You have one opportunity to prove what you’re worth, which is what we’ve been training to do, to play our best come May. It’s the opportunity every athlete seeks.”

Follow the Cardinal Men in Ojai, California (which Coach Goldstein points out is home to excellent orange juice) through gostanford.com.

Contact Kit Ramgopal at kramgopa ‘at’ stanford.edu.

Senior Krista Hardebeck has saved her best for last. In her final season on the Farm, Hardebeck clinched Stanford’s 4-3 upset over No. 3 Florida in February and has accrued the winningest record (21-5, 17-1 dual) on the team. Hardebeck, ranked 114th nationally, is currently riding a 15-match winning streak. She will look to extend her streak on Wednesday, when No. 13 Stanford (13-5, 8-1 Pac-12) faces off against No. 19 USC (12-4, 7-0 Pac-12) for the Pac-12 Championship title in Ojai, California.

The Stanford Daily (TSD): Let’s talk about the Cal match last weekend. What will you remember most about beating the number one team in the country?

Krista Hardebeck (KH): Definitely for me, one of the most memorable things will be watching Caroline Lampl finish off the match. I didn’t get to see, unfortunately, any of [Caroline] Doyle’s match, which I’m sure was insanely exciting. But we’ve had a lot of really close matches this year that we haven’t pulled off, so it was really cool to watch a freshman step up to the plate. She was down 3-2 when the match came down to her, and then she just won four straight games. It was so much fun being with my team and screaming for her. Watching her battle through that was so awesome.

TSD: What about your own match? Two weeks ago [against No. 73 Denise Starr of Cal], you won in three sets and it was close in the tiebreaker. This time you won 6-2, 6-3.

KH: I think this time, it was being on my own courts and I came with more of a game plan. I knew what to do from the match a few weeks ago. And like I said, being on my own courts. They’re a little faster, so that’s beneficial for me.

My mother and my friends were sitting there being absolutely ridiculous, cheering behind my court. That really helped pull me through as well.

TSD: What did you hope for going into your senior year, and how has it turned out?

KH: I actually didn’t play over the summer. I was interning in Uganda [at CCEDU, the Citizens’ Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda], so I was a little wary of how my play would be. But I was pleasantly surprised and I’ve ended up having an absolutely fantastic year, so that was really awesome.

We’ve obviously had a [few] ups and downs during the middle of the season, but I think we’re closing out strong. I think we’re gearing up to have a really strong finish at NCAAs.

TSD: You’ve clinched three times against Florida in your Stanford career. What do you have against the Gators?

KH: Oh my gosh, I don’t know. Everyone brings their best game on both sides because it’s such a huge rivalry, so it’s always super exciting. I’m really happy that I’ve been able to play such a big part in it. Honestly, I think it’s a coincidence that I always happen to be the last one [on the court], but it’s worked out. I love it. Hopefully we can do it to them again at NCAAs.

TSD: You’ve had a lot of big moments full of pressure and excitement on court. Do you have a line or mantra that you tell yourself in those moments?

KH: I just try to stay focused and not let myself get too carried away. I really try to focus on the energy my team is giving me and that I’m focusing on one point at a time. Not letting myself get too hyped up or too nervous.

TSD: Is that something you’ve worked on since freshman year?

KH: I was actually really good at it freshman year. Then I kind of struggled with it sophomore and junior year, but I think this year I’ve definitely gained it back. So, yes and no.

TSD: What do you think has been making the difference this year? You’re in an awesome winning streak — I should knock on wood right now.

KH: Honestly, with it being my last year, I just feel a little [looser] because it could be the last time I’m playing competitive tennis. I think it’s relaxed me, ironically. I think that’s really what’s been helping push me through.

TSD: What are you going to miss from The Farm?

KH: I’m going to miss a lot of stuff. In the context of tennis, I’ll definitely miss being able to practice every day with my teammates and having a really close group of girls that you’re with all the time. I’m kind of nerdy, so I’ll miss having really cool classes to take. I’ll miss having a team and having friends down the hallway, things like that.

TSD: Do you know what you’ll be doing after graduation?

KH: Right now, I am planning on working at a tech company in San Francisco. I’ll be doing a sales-type role for them.

TSD: Will you try to make it back to watch the team?

KH: Oh, yeah. I’ll be going to all their home matches, for sure. I’m going to be a huge fan for them.

Wednesday’s match against No. 19 USC will not only determine which team is the Pac-12 regular-season champion but also could affect the first and second-round locations for the NCAA Championships. The top-16 teams (as decided by a selection committee) nationally are awarded home-court advantage for the first two rounds, so Stanford would likely currently qualify, with USC’s fate being more unclear. It’s possible, but unlikely, that a USC win over Stanford could imperil Stanford’s top-16 ranking. What’s certain at this point is that both the Cardinal and the Trojans have established themselves as top competitors heading into the postseason.

Contact Alexa Corse at corsea ‘at’ stanford.edu.

This weekend, the Stanford women’s tennis team participated in the Pac-12 Championships in Ojai, California. It was a strong showing for the Cardinal, with Melissa Lord and Carol Zhao making a run to the Doubles Championship Division final, and Caroline Lampl progressing to the final of the Singles Invitational Division.

Junior Carol Zhao (above) and doubles partner freshman Melissa Lord managed a second place finish at the Pac-12 Doubles Championship Division final, after only playing together nine times during the regular season. (NICK SALAZAR/The Stanford Daily)

Though Zhao was a defending Pac-12 doubles champion with Taylor Davidson, she and Lord were unranked coming into the tournament, likely due to a lack of experience playing with each other. The duo were first paired together on March 25 against Colorado, and only played together nine times during the regular season. When Zhao returned from injury, she was placed at No. 2 doubles with Lord, as the coaching staff was reluctant to break up either of the other two double teams. Davidson had formed an excellent pairing with Caroline Doyle at the No. 1 doubles spot and the No. 3 team of Lampl and Krista Hardebeck had played equally well.

Zhao and Lord finished the season with only a single defeat, and though each of their regular-season opponents had been unranked, any notions of an early exit for Stanford’s No. 2 doubles team were dispelled quickly. The two dispatched three nationally-ranked doubles teams on their way to the final, including a victory in the quarterfinals against UCLA’s Catherine Harrison and Kyle McPhillips, the nation’s No. 6 pairing.

Zhao and Lord eventually were eventually defeated in the final by Arizona State’s Alexandra Osbourne and Ebony Panoho. Tied 3-3 in the first set, Osbourne and Panoho were able to win nine of the next ten games for a 6-3, 6-1 win. Still, Zhao and Lord’s ability to gel together into such a formidable doubles team in just a month is an incredible achievement in itself. Should they stay together as a team and add to their already great success, Stanford will have a powerful doubles lineup to work with next year, with the nation’s No. 5-ranked pair of Davidson and Doyle also returning to The Farm.

Davidson and Doyle also participated in the Doubles Championship division, progressing to the quarterfinals before dropping a tight 7-5 set to Washington’s Nour Abbes and Maki Kobayashi. Elsewhere in the doubles division at Ojai, Krista Hardebeck and Carolina Lampl played in the Invitational Division tournament and made a run of their own to the semifinals.

Lampl and Lord also made considerable noise in the invitational singles tournament. Lord was able to make it to the semifinals before falling in a tough three-set battle to Cal’s Olivia Hauger. Lampl made it a step further, nearly taking home the title before losing to Hauger in the final.

The Cardinal clearly have two young, talented players in Lampl and Lord who aren’t afraid to step up in high-pressure situations. The pair have plenty of experience in big matches after the championships this weekend, and will only get better as their careers progress. The two freshmen will both return to Palo Alto with championship appearances under their belts, and both will be eager to get back to the same point next year to finish the job.

Stanford’s singles roster this year was characterized by its depth, and that rang true as the Cardinal put three players — Taylor Davidson, Caroline Doyle, and Krista Hardebeck — in the Singles Championship Division. They were unable to reach the same successes achieved in doubles action, but overall, the Cardinal had a solid tournament. Davidson fell in the Round of 16, while Doyle and Hardebeck were both able to reach the quarterfinals before being eliminated, with the former becoming the third Stanford player ever to win 20 matches in a season and the latter extending her incredible win streak to 17 before finally bowing out.

Next up for the team are the NCAA team and individual championships. The Cardinal are almost ensured to play their first rounds at home in Taube Tennis Stadium, where they will attempt to capitalize on a nearly pristine home record (10-1). Stanford’s prowess in Palo Alto, and its current hot streak – which falls right in line with the team’s reputation of saving its best tennis for last – suggests that a deep tournament run could be approaching. Stanford has shown that it can play with some of the best teams in the country, and the team’s resilience after an uncharacteristically rough start has been on display all season. With Pac-12s in the rear-view mirror, the NCAAs are the only competition remaining. It’s time to truly see how far the Cardinal can go.

The team awaits May 3, when the NCAA will announce the postseason tournament bracket.

Contact Evan Burke at eburke3 ‘at’ stanford.edu. 

At this time last year, if you asked any educated Stanford sports fanatic which team was most likely bring home an NCAA Championship they would have said women’s water polo — and they would have been right. Water polo was heading into the NCAA championship with a 22-2 record, with both losses coming against top four teams. This spring however, there isn’t a team on The Farm that brings the same championship confidence that women’s water polo had last year, but there are still a few with a solid shot. With NCAA Championships for spring sports approaching quickly, we asked Daily sportswriters Vihan Lakshman, Do-Hyoung Park, Alexa Philippou and Neel Ramachandran to share their reasoning for which spring sport they think has the greatest chance to take home Stanford’s 109th NCAA title.

Vihan: In sizing up the odds of a team taking home a national title, three overarching factors come to my mind: a roster peaking at the right time, a star player who can completely dominate and sturdy senior leadership. Stanford men’s golf checks all three of those boxes. After falling short of the winner’s circle in its first eight tournaments this season, Conrad Ray’s squad finished strong with a victory at the Western Intercollegiate and followed that up with another compelling performance in their very next outing to claim their third-straight Pac-12 title. On top of that, the Cardinal just so happen to have one of the best amateur players in the world in Maverick McNealy, who recently tied Tiger Woods and Patrick Rodgers for the most individual wins in program history. Not coincidentally, the last time Stanford made a deep run in the NCAAs — finishing second in 2013 — it was Rodgers and NCAA individual champion Cameron Wilson leading the charge.

If McNealy goes low, which he always looks poised to do, Stanford will be in contention. Moreover, that 2013 NCAA championship also saw the emergence of then-sophomore David Boote, who finished tied for third and posted a career-best round of 65. Now, as a senior, Boote should provide the leadership and experience on the biggest stage in college golf to help this Stanford team with all of the requisite tools bring home the trophy.

Do: When in doubt, trust the team that’s been there before. Try this out for size: Stanford women’s golf returns all five of its starters from the squad that won the first national title in program history last season, including two of the top 10 individual finishers at NCAA stroke play in seniors Mariah Stackhouse and Lauren Kim, who have been the foundation of this team together for three years in a row. Tack on another veteran quickly blossoming into a star in her own right in junior Casey Danielson (who actually outplayed Kim and Stackhouse at NCAA Regionals), gritty sophomore Shannon Aubert (who, by the way, went 3-0 in match play last season as the rock of Stanford’s lineup) and blossoming freshman Sierra Kersten, and you have an airtight five-woman lineup with steadfast leadership, star power and consistency — checking off Vihan’s hallowed points from earlier. Don’t forget the clutch gene that Stackhouse showed to crush Baylor’s spirits in last year’s title match with an insane comeback — these golfers have been on the highest stage before, and they did anything but fold under the pressure.

Consistency is especially key in the grueling match play-stroke play format of the NCAA golf championships, and this team has absolutely been peaking at the right time with a win at the Silverado Showdown to wrap up the regular season followed by another win at the NCAA Regional last weekend. The Cardinal were badly underseeded last postseason too — but don’t sleep on them, because that’s when they’re at their best, and come a few weeks from now, they’re going to bring their second straight championship home to The Farm.

Alexa: Over the last few years, there is one word to describe Stanford women’s water polo program: champions. The Cardinal have won four of the last five titles, including back to back ones in 2014 and 2015, and will have that tradition of excellence working in their favor as they go into the NCAA Tournament.

That being said, this year’s team cannot particularly be equated with those from previous years. Several Cardinal from last year’s team have either graduated — including last year’s finals hero, Kiley Neushul —  or, in the case of star Maggie Steffens, taken time off to train for the Olympics. In the absence of these greats, the team has not been up to their usual utterly dominant caliber, recording five losses, the most the program has had since the 2008 season.

Then why am I arguing that this team has a good chance at winning the national championship? For one, the team’s habit of winning national titles cannot be underestimated, regardless of the results of the regular season. The nature of collegiate water polo also essentially leaves three teams with chances at winning the title: USC, UCLA and Stanford — if we’re trying to answer this question in a literal sense, the lack of parity in water polo makes this Stanford team the one with the best chances to win a national title (other Stanford teams have to get through many more competitive teams if they want to make it to the national title match).

Looking at the actual (probable) matchups, Stanford vs. UCLA is a difficult one, to be sure. The teams have traded wins prior to the NCAAs, but I like Stanford in Game 3, though for all intents and purposes it could truly be a toss up. So then that leaves the foreboding USC-Stanford matchup. USC beat Stanford in each of their meetings this season, though Stanford’s offense did slightly better in the second. USC could still very well beat the Cardinal in the national title game — they might really be that much better than Stanford this year — but I bet this game, if Stanford makes it this far, will be closer than the previous to Trojan-Cardinal battles.

The Cardinal may not win the national title, but I do maintain that they at least have the best chance at winning it.

Neel:  While my colleagues’ choices are all fine and dandy, my title-winning pick is a team no one else is talking about: women’s tennis. At first glance, I might seem a little crazy: The team is ranked 12th in the country, dipped under .500 for the first time ever earlier this year and was fifth in the Pac-12 about midway through the season. But as we’ve seen time and again, records and rankings are essentially meaningless when it comes to the postseason. What really matters is which team can get hot come early May. The Cardinal have won seven of eight matches since late March — that lone loss came against Cal, ranked No. 1 in the country and seemingly destined for a perfect 20-0 year-end record… until the last match of the season, when the Cardinal gained revenge with a massive 4-3 upset at Taube Stadium. That victory threw the Pac-12 standings into chaos, with Stanford eventually clinching the conference title in a winner-take-all matchup against USC.

The Cardinal’s second-half surge isn’t a coincidence: The team regained their star player, junior Carol Zhao, in the latter portion of the season after she took time off to compete on the professional circuit. Zhao’s return to the No. 1 spot in the lineup is a huge win for the team, as it bumps every other player one spot down, in turn making their competition easier (you won’t see too many players better than Caroline Doyle at the No. 3 spot, for example).

Add to the mix senior Krista Hardebeck’s 15 straight dual match wins, freshman Caroline Lampl’s phenomenally clutch play (pulling out 7 3-setters in the dual season) and this team has all the tools it needs for a lengthy run at a national title. As a 15-seed in the tournament, Stanford would face second-seeded Florida in the third round, a team that the Cardinal edged 4-3 earlier this season. If Stanford finds its way past the Gators, it should have no problem reaching the semifinals in Tulsa. The program is known for saving its best for last, winning the championship in 2013 as a 12-seed and in 2010 as an 8-seed, and everything points towards another great year-end finish as the Cardinal vie for their 18th national title.

Contact Vihan Lakshman at vihan ‘at’ stanford.edu, Do-Hyoung Park at dpark027 ‘at’ stanford.edu, Alexa Philippou at aphil723 ‘at’ stanford.edu and Neel Ramachandran at neelr ‘at’ stanford.edu.