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Head coach Lele Forood, the 2003 National Coach of the Year and three-time Pac-10 Coach of the Year (2004, 2005, 2007), begins her 10th year at the helm of the Cardinal. Under Forood's guidance, Stanford has solidified its reputation as the nation's premier women's tennis program. During her tenure, the Cardinal has compiled an unthinkable 233-15 record while capturing five NCAA team titles and eight of the last nine Pac-10 championships. Stanford has maintained two lengthy, eye-popping streaks under Forood's tutelage. Last year, the Cardinal made its 28th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and has now tallied a 44-4 postseason ledger during Forood's tenure. Additionally, Stanford is unbeaten in its last 151 home matches at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium (121 regular season, 30 NCAA Tournament) as the home court domination dates back to the 1999 season and is recognized as the longest active home winning streak of any intercollegiate sport in NCAA Division I history. After serving as an assistant and associate head coach at Stanford for 13 years, Forood has clearly made the most of her time with the Cardinal. Last year, Stanford finished 19-5 overall while reaching the round of 16 at the NCAA Championships for the 24th straight season. The Cardinal finished third in the Pac-10 at 6-2, snapping the program's streak of 21 consecutive Pac-10 titles. Meanwhile, Hilary Barte earned All-America honors in both singles and doubles for the second straight year and teamed with Lindsay Burdette for a runner-up finish in the NCAA Doubles Championship final. Prior to suffering a 4-3 dual match loss to Georgia Tech on Feb.3, 2007, Forood directed the Cardinal to a historic 89-match winning streak that spanned three undefeated seasons (2004-06) and resulted in three NCAA titles, three Pac-10 championships and numerous conference and national accolades along the way. In 2006, Forood guided the Cardinal to its 15th NCAA Championship in the 25-year history of the tournament. The Cardinal posted a 4-1 victory over Miami in the title match, claiming the hardware on its home court. Five different players (Alice Barnes, Celia Durkin, Amber Liu, Theresa Logar and Anne Yelsey) earned All-America honors in the process.
Forood led Stanford to a 27-0 overall record and a 4-0 shutout of Texas in the 2005 NCAA Championship match. Barnes and Erin Burdette, the ITA Doubles Team of the Year, were crowned NCAA champions, besting teammates Liu and Yelsey in the final. The Cardinal also won its 18th Pac-10 team title, while Barnes and Yelsey captured the Pac-10 doubles championship. The first of three straight undefeated seasons occurred in 2004, as the Cardinal downed UCLA 4-1 in the NCAA Championship match. Forood helped Liu win her second straight NCAA Singles title, while the doubles pair of Lauren Barnikow and Erin Burdette was named the ITA and Pac-10 Doubles Team of the Year. Forood became the first female head coach to win the NCAA team title in 2001. The championship was the first for Forood, who was an assistant coach for five national title runs from 1989-1991 and in 1997 and 1999. She guided the Cardinal to a stellar 30-0 mark in her rookie season at the helm, in addition to the 2000 Pac-10 championship and a final No. 1 national ranking. That year marked the seventh perfect season overall and first in over 10 years. She was an assistant coach for 10 years under legendary skipper Frank Brennan before being promoted to associate head coach in March of 2000. In 1997, Forood's efforts in helping lead the Cardinal to the NCAA title were recognized nationally as she was named the ITA Division I National Assistant Coach of the Year. An All-American at Stanford 1976- the first year All-American accolades were awarded- Forood was a National Collegiate singles finalist as a freshman and a semifinalist during her sophomore campaign in leading Stanford to two second place national finishes. Competing internationally, she captured the gold medal in both singles and doubles at the 1975 Pan American Games. She was also the 1975 national amateur singles and doubles champion. Forood was ranked as high as 30th on the women's professional tour, and she had an impressive victory over Wimbledon champion and second-seed Virginia Wade at the 1977 U.S. Open. At the 1976 U.S. Open, Forood teamed with Rachel Giscafre to reach the doubles semifinals. Forood was a member of the Board of Women's Tennis Associates from 1979-1987 and served as its secretary-treasurer from 1983-87. She has been extremely active in promoting WTA events, and was the recipient of the prestigious WTA Player Service Award in 1983. After the tour and before coming back to Stanford, she promoted the first professional women's tour event in France from 1986-1988 at Strasbourg. A San Francisco native who grew up in Mill Valley, New York and then Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Forood earned a degree in sociology from Stanford in 1978.
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