The women’s tennis team is at it again. After dispatching two opponents last weekend to open its defense of the NCAA national team title, the No. 2 Cardinal returns to the court today against 16th seeded Northwestern (22-7, 9-1 Big Ten), a team that is riding a six-match winning streak and seeking the upset.
If Northwestern were to advance, it would be the fourth quarterfinal appearance for the Wildcats in the last six years. And there is a history of success for their program on the Farm—the last time the Wildcats came to Stanford for the NCAA Tournament, their unseeded doubles team of Alexis Prousis and Cristelle Grier won the 2006 NCAA Doubles championship. That was also the first year Northwestern made it to the quarterfinals, sparking their recent run under head coach Claire Pollard.
That success has also included eight straight seasons of at least 20 wins, including this year—out of the Wildcats’ last 13 seasons, 11 of them have ended with 20 or more wins.
So far in the tournament, the Wildcats knocked off Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne in the first round before facing well-known foe Notre Dame in the second. Overall, the Wildcats feature a very dominant doubles composition and a feisty singles lineup.
Stanford freshman Kristie Ahn understands the strength of the Cardinal’s opponent, but believes in its ability to win.
“All the teams that have made it to the Round of 16 are really good,” Ahn said. “Northwestern is an indoor team, so they generally play really fast. We are just going to go out and give it our best, and I think our lineup will be able to take them.”
Stanford has its own talent pool to draw from, which will also receive an important boost when Ahn returns from time off. She and freshman Nicole Gibbs are a combined 75-8 overall and are undefeated at 42-0 in dual matches. The two have been a large reason why Stanford’s depth has been able to overcome a large portion of their opponents.
“We really compliment each other’s game and always have a lot of fun playing together because we keep each other relaxed,” Ahn said. “It’s great that we’re both freshman because we can grow together and help each other along the way, hopefully for the next four years.”
The Cardinal also has a three-time All-America in Hilary Barte, the No. 3 player in the country. The senior is 27-5 overall, 16-4 in duals and is enjoying a dominating season all-around. She has combined with sophomore Mallory Burdette, Stanford’s No. 2 player, for a 22-6 record in doubles play. The pair has a top-three national ranking and a reputation for tough coordinated play.
Perhaps the greatest thing Stanford has going for it this weekend is its home-court advantage. The Cardinal has an NCAA-record home winning streak of 181 matches (147 regular season, 34 NCAA Tournament), an active streak that is a record in any collegiate sport, men’s or women’s. The streak has lasted well over a decade—the last loss at home was a 5-4 defeat to California on February 27, 1999.
Ahn, however, is far less concerned with the home winning streak than one might think.
“In the end, it’s just a number,” she said. “There’s no added pressure to try and keep it going even though it’s obviously a phenomenal testament to the Stanford tennis program. The most important thing is to stay healthy, to fine-tune our games to make them that little bit better and to not stress out.”
The Stanford women acknowledged that other teams coming to the Farm will be gunning to knock off the No. 1 seed. Ahn also knows that the Cardinal must be prepared for what it will face.
“Other teams will be playing their best tennis when they play against us, so we have to be ready for that,” she said. “Practice has been catered to what each player needs in order to be ready. If people want to play singles points, they’ll play, and the same goes for doubles points. It’s a question of what each player personally must work on.”
Stanford kicks off the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament tonight at 6 p.m. at Taube Tennis Center.