Jan. 31, 2012
THREE STORYLINES TO KEEP IN MIND
Life In The Post-Barte Era
For the first time since 2006-07, head coach Lele Forood will dispatch someone other than Hilary Barte to court one inside the stadium on a regular basis. A four-time All-American in both singles and doubles, Barte wrapped up her illustrious career as one of the elite players in school history at 136-29 overall and 85-13 in duals. Additionally, Barte played all but six of her 98 career dual matches at the No. 1 spot of the lineup and provided a veteran leadership that injected energy into every team she competed on during her four years. So while the first year of the post-Barte era will likely look and feel a little different, that's not to say the cupboard is bare. Stanford's strength has always been superior depth, and that's the case again in 2012.
Talking About That Depth
Just how ridiculous is Stanford's depth? Consider this luxury: of the eight players on Stanford's roster, four have earned All-America honors at least once. Then again, the ability to develop All-American talent and reload on a consistent basis has been a trademark of the Cardinal program dating back to the early 1980's. Currently ranked No. 1 in singles and doubles, junior Mallory Burdette won the NCAA Doubles title last year and clinched Stanford's national championship as a rookie. Sophomore Nicole Gibbs earned All-America accolades in a freshman campaign that saw her rack up a team-high 46 victories. Sophomore Kristie Ahn was honored by the ITA and Pac-10 as both organizations' Rookie of the Year while also capturing two singles titles. Perhaps the best example of Stanford's depth was junior Stacey Tan earning a runner-up finish in the NCAA Singles Championship despite playing the majority of her matches at No. 5 during the regular season. Throw in standout freshman Ellen Tsay, and Stanford will be loaded.
V-Li Will Be A Key
The only senior on this year's roster, Veronica Li might not possess the same career accolades as the All-American performers mentioned above. However, Li will once again play an important role as a seasoned veteran who is more than capable of piling up wins at a quick rate on the back courts. Any championship team needs that type of unselfish player and Li's track record suggests she is ready to handle that responsibility. Li owns a 45-14 career mark at the Nos. 4-6 positions, and she should present a matchup nightmare for opposing teams who might try to sneak in their underclassmen at these spots. Additionally, Li has experience playing in high-pressure postseason matches, most notably contributing a win on court five in Stanford's national championship win over Florida two years ago.
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THREE MATCHES THAT MATTER
This year's regular-season schedule features 13 home matches to be played at Taube Family Tennis Stadium, where Stanford had won an NCAA-record 184 matches in a row prior to suffering a 4-3 loss to Florida in last year's NCAA championship. The Gators return to The Farm in early February in a highly-anticipated dual match while Utah and Colorado join the conference this season. The 2012 NCAA Championships will be held May 17-28 in Athens, Ga., hosted by the University of Georgia.
Feb. 1 vs. UC Davis
- 3 p.m. |
Stanford enters its season opener in an unfamiliar position- on a losing streak at home. That's because the Cardinal suffered its first home loss in more than 12 years during its last appearance at Taube Family Tennis Stadium, falling 4-3 to Florida on May 24, 2011, in the NCAA championship match. Of course, chances are pretty good that Stanford will begin a new home winning streak and what better time than the first contest of the year. Stanford's NCAA-record 184-match home winning streak was simply a mind-boggling accomplishment. Recognized as the longest home winning streak of any intercollegiate sport in NCAA Division I athletics, the 184-match winning streak began in 1999 and included two national championships captured on The Farm. |
Feb. 12 vs. Florida
- 12 p.m. |
Plenty on the line here, as Florida makes a return trip to Taube Family Tennis Stadium in what will be the most highly-anticipated regular season home dual in school history. This one is really a rare treat, with the top two programs in NCAA women's tennis clashing for early-season bragging rights. In addition to representing a rematch of the last two national championships matches (Stanford won in 2010, Florida in 2011), both squads enter the spring season holding down the top two spots in the national rankings, with Florida checking in at No. 1 and Stanford at No. 2. Scheduled for a noon start on a Sunday, the weather should be great and this one should have the feel of a postseason battle. |
Apr. 21 vs. California
- 12 p.m. |
Stanford has always held the upper hand in the rivalry series, including a four-match winning streak heading into this season. However, these matchups are always competitive and both clubs are usually highly-ranked and in contention for the conference title. Stanford will visit Berkeley in early March, but this match at Taube Family Tennis Stadium will count toward the league standings. The Pac-12 has traditionally been one of the best conferences in the country, and this season should be no different with UCLA, USC and Arizona State also joining Stanford and California as potential title contenders battling for the right to host early-round NCAA Tournament matches. That being said, counting dual matches will be as important as ever. |
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BREAKING DOWN THE PERSONNEL
Sophomore Kristie Ahn
2011-12: Did not play during the fall season, as she continues to recover from injury ...
2010-11: All-American in singles ... ITA National Rookie of the Year ... Pac-10 Freshman of the Year ... All-Pac-10 First Team honoree ... earned a final national singles ranking of No. 22 ... produced one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory, despite playing in only one match after May 1 due to an ankle injury ... ranked second on the squad in wins, posting a 36-4 overall record ... 18-1 in duals, alternating between the Nos. 3 and 4 spots of the lineup and losing her only match when she was forced to retire due to injury ... recorded a 24-match winning streak from Jan. 16-May 1 ... 13-4 against nationally-ranked opponents ... opened the year by capturing the singles crown at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships ... Pac-10 Championships singles champion, defeating No. 2 Maria Sanchez of USC 7-5, 6-1 to become the first Stanford player to win the event since Gabriela Lastra in 2002 ... ranked No. 32 nationally in doubles, teaming with Nicole Gibbs to finish 21-9 overall and 14-4 in duals as Stanford's No. 2 team.
Junior Mallory Burdette
2011-12: Leads team with a 14-4 record ... entered January as the nation's top-ranked player in both singles and doubles ... captured consolation singles title at the ITA All-American Championships ... singles runner-up finishes at ITA Northwest Regional Championships and Freeman Memorial Invitational ...
2010-11: : All American in doubles ... All-Pac-10 Second Team honoree ... NCAA Doubles champion with partner Hilary Barte, capturing Stanford's 14th overall collegiate title ... earned a final national singles ranking of No. 26 ... 25-9 overall and 17-5 in duals, playing primarily at the No. 2 spot ... partnered exclusively with Hilary Barte in doubles, as the duo finished 30-6 overall, 17-3 in duals, 19-5 against nationally-ranked opponents and earned a final No. 1 national ranking ... ITA National Doubles Team of the Year with Barte ... Cardinal's top duo ended the year on a 15-match winning streak, with its last loss coming back on Mar. 26 in an 8-5 setback against USC's Kaitlyn Christian and Maria Sanchez ... captured doubles crown at the ITA All-American Championships in October.
Junior Natalie Dillon
2011-12: Dropped her only match of the year to date, competing at the Freeman Memorial Invitational ...
2010-11: : Posted a 6-6 overall singles record ... competed in her only dual match of the year on Mar. 3 against San Francisco, falling 6-3, 6-2 to Alana McMahon ... advanced to round of 32 at ITA Northwest Regional Championships ... 5-4 in doubles, playing with four different partners ... teamed with Mallory Burdette to capture the Pac-10 Championships Invitational doubles title.
Sophomore Nicole Gibbs
2011-12: Compiled a 9-3 record so far, including a 6-2 mark against nationally-ranked opponents ... Locked up the first singles title of her career, defeating teammate Mallory Burdette at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships back in October ... ranked No. 1 in doubles with Burdette, taking home the doubles crown at the ITA All-American Championships ...
2010-11: All-American in singles ... All-Pac-10 Second Team honoree ... ITA Northwest Region Player to Watch ... NCAA Championships All-Tournament Team selection ... earned a final national singles ranking of No. 12 ... advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Singles Championships, defeating back-to-back top-10 opponents before falling to eventual champion and top-ranked Jana Juricova of California in a hard-fought three-setter ... wrapped up the year with a team-best 46-6 overall record, becoming the first Cardinal player to reach the 40-win plateau since Erin Burdette and Gabriela Lastra both accomplished the feat in 2001-02 ... unbeaten in 27 dual matches, finishing 2-0 at No. 2, 16-0 at the No. 3 position, 8-0 at the No. 4 spot ... 21-4 against nationally-ranked opponents ... won 19 sets by a score of 6-0 ... ranked No. 32 nationally in doubles, teaming with Kristie Ahn to finish 21-9 overall and 14-4 in duals as Stanford's No. 2 team.
Sophomore Amelia Herring
2011-12: In six matches, sports a 1-5 record ... defeated Fresno Pacific's Erika Januskova in a three-setter at the NCTC Classic for her only win so far ...
2010-11: Notched a 4-7 overall singles mark ... made collegiate debut on Oct. 8, falling to Portland's Lacey Pflibsen 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the Saint Mary's Invitational ... registered first career singles win on Oct. 9, defeating Washington's Samantha Smith 6-1, 6-2 at the Saint Mary's Invitational ... competed in her only dual match of the year on Mar. 3 against San Francisco, dropping a 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 decision to Jessy Mekpoh at the No. 5 position ... posted a 7-3 record in doubles.
Senior Veronica Li
2011-12: Checks in at 3-5 overall through eight singles matches ... ranked No. 116 in singles earlier in the fall season ...
2010-11: Pac-10 All-Academic Honorable Mention ... closed out the season 14-8 overall in singles ... 10-3 in dual matches, finishing 5-1 at the No. 5 spot and 5-2 at the No. 6 position ... contributed two victories in postseason play, including a 6-4, 6-3 win over Baylor's Taylor Ormond at the No. 6 spot in the semifinals ... 13-6 in doubles, playing with six different partners ... posted a 4-1 mark with Carolyn McVeigh in dual matches.
Junior Stacey Tan
2011-12: 5-4 through nine matches ... ranked No. 12 in singles earlier in the year ... reached quarterfinals of the ITA Northwest Regional Championships and the Freeman Memorial Invitational ... captured doubles crown with Ellen Tsay at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships ...
2010-11: All-American in singles ... nearly completed an improbable singles run at the NCAA Championships, falling 6-0, 7-6 (2) to top-ranked and top-seeded Jana Juricova in the national title match ... became only the 10th unseeded player to appear in an NCAA singles final ... entered the NCAA singles final ranked No. 43 nationally, becoming the lowest-ranked player to reach the championship match since 1998, when No. 51 Ania Bleszynski of Stanford lost to Duke's Vanessa Webb 6-3, 6-4 ... earned a final national singles ranking of No. 19 ... closed out the year 32-10 overall ... 20-3 in duals, playing mainly at the No. 5 spot with a 16-1 record in that position ... 11-2 in three-set matches ... earned a final No. 82 national ranking in doubles with Carolyn McVeigh, as the duo finished 15-7 overall and 13-5 in duals and anchored Stanford's No. 3 spot.
Freshman Ellen Tsay
2011-12: Compiled a 6-3 record during her first half-season of competition at the collegiate level ... currently ranked No. 31 in singles ... reached semifinals of Saint Mary's Invitational ... captured doubles crown with Stacey Tan at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships ...
Prior to Stanford: 2011 graduate of Kaplan Academy of California ... reached highest WTA world ranking of No. 583 in singles and No. 513 in doubles ... ranked No. 1 in the nation among girls' 14, 16 and 18-year-old divisions ... earned six gold, one silver and six bronze balls during junior season ... captured 2010 doubles title at St. Joseph, Mo., and 2009 singles title at Stead Open ... claimed singles, doubles and sportsmanship award at the 2008 Girls' 16 Easter Bowl ... represented Team USA at five international events in United States, England, France, Canada and Italy ... earned sportsmanship award at the 2011 Girls' 18 USTA National Championships ... two-time Inside Tennis Junior Player of the Year (2006, 2008).
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